The Strings of Fate
by TheYangSistaz
Summary: Waking up in the past was not their plan when they decided to recite some poetry from their great grandfather's journal. Trapped in Victorian England, they become involved with the Queen's Watchdog and his mysterious butler. A game of trust and seduction begins and no one knows who is player or pawn. There are no rules and the cards have been dealt. NON-YAOI SEBASTIANXOC CIELXOC
1. The Hastings

The Strings of Fate

Chapter One: The Hastings

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

Sunlight through drawn curtains shined into the salon. Wind gently blew through the open windows to offer a cool breeze for the two occupants of the room. Both wore the proper garbs of fencing along with the protective mask and each held an épée in the respective hand. They readied their weapons and, with a nod, the training session began. The taller of the two moved first with an advance followed by a lunge. The other parried with a side step and countered with a riposte.

The movement was continuous and easygoing. The taller of the two held a graceful form whilst the other retained spunk in movement. It appeared as if their skills were nearly equal. One, however, could never be too sure with that assumption. In the end, the taller one was left standing in victory. Setting the épée down, the victor moved to the other who sat on the floor a few yards away.

The protective mask fell away to reveal a young woman's sweaty face. Wet strands of chestnut hair plastered to her temple and forehead while some fell into her almond-shaped hazel eyes. She smiled as she knelt down by her partner and held out her hand.

"Are you sure you've been practicing your fencing?" she jested.

Her partner sighed and took hold of her offered hand. A tug on her hand sent her flying over her partner and she gasped as she landed on her back with the air knocked out of her. Her partner flipped back onto her and held her down with an arm lodged against her throat. Her partner removed the protective mask to reveal the equally sweaty face of a young girl with auburn hair that fell into almond-shaped hazel eyes identical to her own.

"What were you saying again, Giselle?" the girl asked as a smug smirk played across her lips.

Giselle sighed as she laid her head back.

"This isn't fair, Lydia," she reasoned. "You aren't fencing anymore."

Lydia laughed as she removed herself and helped Giselle stand.

"Don't be a sore loser," she replied to which Giselle rolled her eyes.

The salon doors opened as an Asian woman entered the room. Despite her petite form, her presence was of one who clearly demanded respect. Her black hair tied back in a perfectly tight bun was one of many examples that proved her need for cleanliness. Her expression was stern as she approached the girls. Her brown eyes—identical in shape to the girls—roved over their sweaty forms.

"Your father will be home soon," she announced and her expression softened. "I suggest you girls freshen up before joining us for supper."

"Yes, Mother," the girls replied.

With a smile, the woman excused herself from the room.

"Father hasn't been home to have supper with us for some time now," Giselle noted as she gathered the equipment.

"That's true," Lydia commented as she helped.

"It will be nice to have him present today."

"Uh-huh."

Giselle paused in putting her épée away as she looked at her sister.

"Is something wrong, Lydia?"

"It's nothing; I'm going to go clean up first."

Giselle nodded and watched as Lydia departed from the salon.

*/*\*

Entering her bedchamber, Lydia stripped out of her fencing gear and headed to her adjoining bathroom. Although she wanted to lounge longer in the bath, she knew she didn't have the time and showered instead. As she stepped back into her room, she heard the door click shut and saw her supper outfit laid out on the bed for her. She smiled as she dressed, reveling in how her maid knew her so well as to pick out the correct clothes for her.

The cropped pants were black and she figured it would be acceptable for her mother. After all, she wasn't exposing a large expanse of her legs. The sleeves of her blue blouse were mid-length and the pleasant neckline covered what had to be covered. All in all, Lydia thought it would suffice for supper with her parents. Once fully dressed, she hastily swept her hair up into a messy ponytail and nodded with approval.

"Mother may disapprove," she commented as she looked over her form. "But I don't care."

With a grin, she childishly stuck her tongue out at her reflection before departing from her room.

*/*\*

"Your hair has grown really long, Miss Giselle," the maid announced as she brushed Giselle's hair.

"It has," Giselle agreed. "I thought of cutting it but I can't seem to rid my attachment. I'm certain Mother would be horrified as well."

The maid chuckled knowingly.

"Yes, I can see that," she replied. "The Marchioness loves your hair after all." She ran the brush through Giselle's hair a final time. "Shall I braid your hair for supper, milady?"

"Yes, Bridget," Giselle replied with a smile.

Bridget nodded as she proceeded with her new task at hand. Giselle watched as the maid took sufficient time to braid her hair despite its length. Once done, Bridget pinned the braid up in a bun and stepped back to allow Giselle to examine her work. Giselle smiled with approval as she stood.

"Good work, Bridget," she praised. "You may leave the rest to me."

Bridget nodded and left after curtsying.

Giselle examined her hair a final time before she slipped into the dress Bridget had picked out. The sleeves were ruffled and covered her shoulders while the neckline was decent, revealing only the top of her collarbones. The dress was full body and the hem brushed lightly at her toes. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the vermilion color brought out the brown of her eyes. She smiled approvingly as she smoothed out the dress. Slipping into her shoes, she made one final look over before departing from her room.

*/*\*

The girls met outside the doors of the dining hall and Giselle smiled as she looked over Lydia's choice of dress.

"Will you ever wear a dress for Father, Lydia?" she asked.

"The only time I will ever wear a dress for Mother and Father is when I get married," Lydia answered with a cheeky grin.

Giselle sighed but her smile never left her lips. The girls entered the dining hall to see their parents—Lord and Lady Hastings—already settled at the dining table: their father at one end and their mother to his right. Giselle sat on his other side while Lydia sat on the other side of their mother.

"Good evening, girls," he greeted.

The girls greeted their father as the meal was served and the family silently enjoyed their meal.

"I have a something I'd like to say," Lord Hastings announced once the plates were cleared away.

Lady Hastings, Giselle, and Lydia turned their attention to the head of the table.

"Lydia, you recently turned seventeen," he noted. "Perhaps, it's time for you to join the London Season."

"London Season?" Lydia questioned.

"Yes, I've heard there are a few eligible bachelors looking for a wife this year," he stated. "Perhaps, you might find someone to your liking."

"But…I don't want to marry, Father," Lydia countered.

"Well, you may not be ready for marriage just yet," he replied. "I believe it would be beneficial for you to meet your prospective suitors, though."

"I don't think so," Lydia commented with a shake of her head. "What about Giselle? Will she be joining again with me?"

Lord Hastings shook his head.

"A suitor has already come forward to ask for Giselle's hand in marriage," he said. "I am certain she'll be busy with wedding preparations."

Lady Hastings—as well as Giselle—was taken by surprise.

"You mean Giselle has received a proposal?" she asked and smiled happily at Giselle when Lord Hastings nodded. "Oh, isn't that wonderful news, Giselle?"

Giselle could only bring a small smile to her lips as she nodded.

"Yes, Mother," she replied happily even though she didn't feel so.

*/*\*

Sitting at her vanity, Lydia stared at her hairbrush until she heard a knock at her door. She turned just as her mother entered. Lady Hastings smiled warmly as she closed the door and approached the younger girl. Lydia sighed and faced her mirror with a huff. Lady Hastings laid her hands on the girl's shoulders and gave a squeeze of comfort.

"Come, darling," she cooed. "What bothers you so?"

"I don't understand why Father wants me to join the London Season this year," Lydia replied. "I'm only seventeen; I'm not ready for marriage. You know that yourself, Mother."

Lady Hastings nodded as she took the hairbrush and began combing through Lydia's hair as if to keep busy.

"Your father just wants to make sure you have a secured future, love," she explained. "He worries about you because you always seem to have your head in the clouds. Running through the fields, playing around with the servants, and all those other unladylike activities you love to do." She laid her hands upon Lydia's shoulders once more. "You may not realize it but you can't always run through the fields without a care in the world, Lydia. There will be a time when you have to accept your birthright and become the mistress of your own manor."

"I know," Lydia said. "It's just…Father never pushed Giselle to join the London Season. He waited until she asked to join." She locked eyes with Lady Hastings via the mirror and frowned. "Sometimes…I feel Father loves Giselle more than he loves me."

Lady Hastings stopped brushing, leaving the brush halfway through Lydia's hair.

"You shouldn't say that, Lydia," she chided. "Your father loves the both of you equally."

With a sigh, Lydia reached for her hairbrush and removed it from her mother's hold. She placed the brush away and stood to hug the woman. Lady Hastings hummed soothingly as she wrapped her arms around Lydia's shoulders. Lydia tightened the embrace and buried her face into the woman's shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of her mother.

"Maybe I _am_ just thinking too much," Lydia announced and pulled away with a smile. "Thank you for brushing my hair, Mother. I like it best when you do it."

Lady Hastings smiled and chuckled as she cupped Lydia's cheeks.

"Then, I will always brush your hair for you," she noted.

"Even after I get married?" Lydia asked.

Lady Hastings laughed but shook her head.

"Silly girl," she replied. "By then, you would not want me to brush your hair anymore."

Lydia laughed.

"Perhaps not," she stated thoughtfully; then, yawned. "I'm sorry, Mother."

Lady Hastings shook her head and smiled as she patted Lydia's head.

"You are tired, dear," she said. "I'll leave you to sleep now."

"Good night, Mother," Lydia bid as she watched her mother depart.

"Good night, dear," Lady Hastings replied before she shut the door.

Lydia turned off the main light and tucked herself into bed. Just as she slipped deeper under the sheets, she heard a knock at the door. She sat up as Giselle entered. The older woman smiled as she closed the door. Lydia scooted over to make room and Giselle joined her. They faced each other and Lydia could tell Giselle had a lot on her mind.

"What's wrong, Giselle?"

The older woman shook her head.

"Nothing, really…"

"Are you sure?"

Giselle sighed.

"Well…it's just…I'm not sure what to think of this new suitor."

"Giselle…you don't have to agree to this marriage if you don't want to."

Lydia reached over and took hold of Giselle's hand, giving it a squeeze. She received an answering squeeze and saw Giselle's melancholic smile.

"I know," Giselle whispered. "I just don't want to disappoint Father any more than I already have."

"You still don't let that get to you, do you?"

Giselle sighed and hesitantly nodded.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Giselle; you were young and didn't know anything. Anyone could've been tricked by someone like that."

Lydia was stopped by Giselle's soft laughter.

"How is it that you're giving me advice when I'm the older sister?" Giselle asked.

"I don't know," Lydia replied with shrug. "Maybe I'm secretly more mature?"

Giselle rolled her eyes at Lydia's cheeky grin.

"Oh you!" Giselle reprimanded but laughed.

Lydia laughed as well before regaining a serious expression.

"I'm serious, though, Giselle," she said. "If you don't want to marry that man, just tell Father. I'm sure he'll listen to your reasoning."

"He'll be disappointed." Giselle shook her head. "I couldn't do that to him…not when he already forgave me for my mistake. I couldn't possibly hurt him again."

"But, Giselle…"

"It's the least I can do for Father," Giselle insisted. "He took me in and brought me up like his own daughter. The least I can do to repay him is to marry the man he selects for me."

"Giselle…"

Giselle smiled more cheerily although the melancholy never disappeared.

"Don't sound like I'm going to the executioner, Lydia," she stated. "I'm only getting married." Giselle moved closer to snuggle with Lydia. "When I get married, you can come visit me."

Lydia recognized her sister's subtle plea and swallowed back the envy she'd previously felt for the older woman not too long ago. With a nod, she plastered on a smile and snuggled closer to Giselle.

"You bet," she answered. "I'll come and bother you until you don't want me to visit anymore!"

"I doubt that," Giselle replied. "You could never bother me to that extent."

"Oh yeah?" Lydia questioned. "How about this?"

Lydia vehemently attacked Giselle's sides in an attempt to tickle the older woman. Giselle's laugh echoed through the chamber and she pulled away to hiss out a disapproval. She warned that they'd be caught but Lydia continued. Eventually, Giselle found the energy to return her own assault. Lydia's laughter echoed with Giselle's and they giggled late into the night until they finally collapsed with exhaustion.

Author's Note: A note in advance to let readers know that the real eye candy of the story aka Earl Phantomhive and his trusty butler—Sebastian Michaelis—will not make an appearance until the fourth chapter. An apology to those who were hoping to see these two right away but an introduction of the two main ladies is a necessity and will span the first three chapters. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	2. A Five-Pointed Star

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Two: A Five-Pointed Star

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

"I do not understand why you two still sleep together," Lady Hastings commented with a shake of her head.

The following morning, Lydia's maid had entered to see the two girls together. Apparently believing the sight to be so endearing, she had mentioned the details to fellow servants. Lady Hastings received word of the whisperings and was quick to reprimand the girls. They were currently having mid-afternoon tea.

"I just wanted to sleep with Lydia last night, Mother," Giselle explained with a smile. "What is wrong with that?"

"Aside from your age?" Lydia countered as she placed her teacup. "Shouldn't it be the other way around, Giselle?"

Giselle scrunched her nose at Lydia who smiled mischievously. Lady Hastings laughed at her daughters' expressions and continued shaking her head.

"What will I do with you two?" she questioned more herself than the two.

"Who knows, Mother," Lydia answered with a shrug.

Lady Hastings sighed but remained smiling as she sipped her tea. Giselle glanced at the clock to see it was time for their ballroom lessons. She set her cup down and stood to dismiss herself.

"Our lessons will begin soon, Lydia," she announced and curtseyed to her mother. "Mother, do please excuse us."

Lady Hastings nodded and the girls departed from the parlor.

*/*\*

"You both did well today," the dance instructor praised. "Until next week, ladies."

The girls curtseyed as the man departed and Lydia slumped into the nearest chair with a loud sigh of relief.

"I don't see why ballroom dancing is so important," she commented. "There is no need for such boring lessons."

"Remember, Lydia," Giselle reprimanded in a teasing tone. "You have to keep up with your ballroom lessons…especially if you want to keep going to your sparring lessons." She pulled up a chair and joined Lydia. "I personally had to compromise with Father so he'd let you take those sparring lessons."

"I know, I know," Lydia noted. "I really do appreciate you doing that for me."

Giselle smiled and looked at the clock to see they still had time before supper.

"Shall we go shopping?" she suggested.

"Sure, why not," Lydia replied as she stood. "Anything to get out of the manor for a bit."

Giselle chuckled as she stood and replaced the chairs.

"Let's get going then."

*/*\*

Giselle and Lydia walked along the riverside as they browsed through the many vendors who'd come out for the daily flea market. Giselle bought a new sunhat while Lydia bought a new pair of jeans. As they continued browsing, one particular vendor of antiques caught their attention. The elderly woman had jewelry stands where many "claimed heirlooms" hung from and there were more to view in the back of her tent. Interest piqued, the girls headed inside to see if they'd find anything to buy.

"Look at this, Giselle," Lydia called as she reached for one particular ring.

Giselle joined her sister's side to see what had caught her sister's attention. The ring had an ornate silver piece that held an emerald-cut deep blue stone. Giselle wondered if it was a sapphire. Lydia traced the jewel with her thumb and seemed to be in a daze as she examined it closely. Giselle smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"If you like it that much, why don't you buy it?" she suggested.

As if brought out of a daze, Lydia looked at her before shaking her head.

"I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I'm not a jewelry person."

As Lydia moved to put the ring back, Giselle pushed the jewel back into her hand.

"I've never seen you so immersed by a ring before," she noted. "I'll buy it for you."

"Are you sure?" Lydia questioned. "I can buy it myself."

"It's all right," Giselle replied with a smile. "Consider it a belated birthday gift."

"But—"

"I insist," the older woman urged and went to pay the vendor owner.

Lydia followed after her and the elderly woman smiled when she saw the ring.

"A lovely choice, milady," she commented as she counted change for Giselle.

"You think so?" Lydia asked as she looked over the ring again.

The elderly woman nodded.

"That ring once belonged to a powerful noble family during the Victorian era," she announced. "They were often referred to as the 'Evil Noblemen' because they were tasked with eliminating anything that worried the Queen of that time by any means necessary. Thus, they were also called the 'Queen's Watchdogs'."

"How interesting," Giselle noted. "Do you know if that family still exists now?"

"Unfortunately, no," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "It is believed that the Phantomhive bloodline died out when the last head of the family disappeared. Such a tragedy, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed," Giselle agreed with a nod.

The elderly woman looked at Lydia who was still examining the ring. Then, she smiled and bent down to search for something beneath the table. The girls watched in wonder until she straightened again with a cloth in her possession. She looked at Giselle with a warm smile.

"There's also this pendant that came with the ring when I first bought it," she announced as she unwrapped the cloth. "Unfortunately, none of the customers ever really want to buy it. Therefore, I stopped hanging the pendant with the ring."

The woman pulled up the pendant by its chain and Giselle immediately knew why no one wanted to purchase the charm. The shape—a five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns—was upside down with the star's single point projecting downward. Giselle was familiar with the significant meaning behind the symbolic positioning of the five-pointed star—better known as a pentagram. A symbol of the invocation of Satan and what the Christian religion considered as evil. No one would want to be caught wearing something like that.

"Since you purchased the ring, I believe it best if you received this as well," the woman stated as she held out the pendant.

"Ah well," Lydia started and paused in an attempt to reject politely. "You see…I just wanted to have the ring."

"It's free of charge," the woman insisted. "I have this feeling that those two pieces of jewelry should never part."

"Well…" Giselle said hesitantly. "I suppose if you say it like that, we can take it then."

She held out her hand for the pendant and the woman placed the charm into her hand after rewrapping it.

"Thank you for stepping in today, milady," the woman bid with a smile and bowed.

"Have a nice day, madam," Giselle replied with her own curtsey before leaving.

Lydia leaned in close as they walked away from the tent.

"You didn't have to take that old thing," she said apologetically.

"It's fine," Giselle replied as she placed the wrapped pendant into her purse. "I found the symbol interesting so I decided 'why not' if it's free."

Lydia smiled.

"That's how you've always been," she commented.

Giselle chuckled.

"I suppose so," she agreed.

Giselle stopped when she saw Lydia had stopped walking and turned back to the younger girl to see what was wrong. She followed Lydia's gaze and felt a lump of displeasure rise in her throat when she saw the young couple several yards away. She immediately recognized them as Lydia's friends—at least once upon a time. She wasn't sure of the story behind the three of them but she did remember Lydia's heartbreak from not too long ago. Looking back at the other girl, she could see that Lydia still had trouble forgetting whatever had happened.

"Lydia?" she called as she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Lydia locked eyes with her.

"Y-yeah…" she whispered.

"Come, let's go home," Giselle urged as she ushered the girl to turn away.

"Vince, isn't that Lydia?"

Lydia paused and Giselle looked at her to see the girl's pained expression.

"Where, Alex?"

"Over there; how strange, I don't think I've ever seen her in such fine clothes."

"Indeed; I almost forgot she was of noble blood."

The couple's laughter grated on Giselle's nerves and she turned to confront them. Lydia's hand on her arm stopped her and she looked back at the girl. Lydia shook her head even as her eyes became teary. Giselle felt her heart clench with pain but abided her sister's silent plea. Squeezing Lydia's hand, Giselle ushered her in the direction of home.

"Lydia, won't you even greet your friends?"

Again, Lydia paused and Giselle had to bite her inner lip to stop any venomous words from slipping. She watched as Lydia plastered on a smile and turned to greet the couple.

"Alex, Vince," she greeted. "How nice to see you two again; it's been a while."

"It sure has, Lydia," the girl replied with a smile that Giselle didn't like. "How long were you going to keep away?"

"I'm sorry," Lydia said. "Things have been busy for my family so I haven't been able to leave."

"Is that so?" Vince questioned. "I swear I saw you by yourself at the lake just a few days ago."

"Oh? That was…" Lydia trailed off as she looked away.

"If I'm certain, you appeared to be wallowing in self-pity," Vince added.

Giselle clenched her jaw with irritation at Vince's smile of obvious satisfaction. _This commoner…_

"Perhaps, she was," Alex noted matter-of-factly with a laugh. "After all, you did play her like the—"

Vision blurred by rage, Giselle almost didn't realize what had happened. She looked at Alex and Vince to see they were both as surprised as she felt. She turned her attention to Lydia to see her sister was breathing hard. Then, she noticed how Alex held a hand to her own cheek. Feeling satisfied enough, she stepped forward and laid hands on Lydia's shoulders.

"I believe it best if you both refrain from appearing before us again," Giselle warned.

With those final words, she turned Lydia around and led her away from the couple.

*/*\*

No sooner did they arrive home did their father call them into his study and the girls knew they were in trouble.

"Father, please let me explain," Giselle insisted as she entered the study first.

Lord Hastings held up his hand to stop her from further explanation.

"There is no need," he stated. "I have been informed of what happened and already dealt with the issue." He sighed. "Lydia…how many times have I told you?"

"I know, Father," Lydia replied. "It was my fault; I will return to my room to think over what I have done."

"Lydia…" Giselle called as the younger exited from the room. "Father…it wasn't her fault."

"You must stop treating her like a child, Giselle," Lord Hastings reprimanded with a sigh of exasperation. "She needs to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions. Why can't you understand that?"

"I do, Father," Giselle said. "It's just…I believe you don't put enough faith into Lydia. Sometimes, I believe it's _you_ who still treats her like a child."

Lord Hastings sighed and chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "I believe we are all guilty of that."

Giselle smiled as she nodded in sentimental agreement.

"She is already grown up and I believe we just refuse to notice, Father," she suggested.

"Perhaps," Lord Hastings replied and sighed. "Well, I suppose I need to sit and talk with her soon."

"Indeed," Giselle said. "If I may, Father, I will leave you to your business."

"See you at supper," Lord Hastings bid in farewell.

"And, Father…" Giselle stopped at the door to look back at him. "I apologize for what happened today."

"It was nothing, Giselle; you need not worry."

Lord Hastings smiled. Giselle nodded before she curtseyed and departed from the study.

*/*\*

Lydia hurried to her room and plopped onto her bed. She told herself she wouldn't cry and repeated the command to herself in hopes of actually following through with it. In the end, the command failed as her vision blurred and her throat choked up. Sitting up, she viciously wiped at her eyes and sniffed back the remaining tears. With a sigh, she clutched her pillow closely and buried her face as she allowed herself to cry.

_That jerk…_

Several minutes later, she heard a knock at her door and silenced herself when she heard Giselle's voice. Desiring to be alone, she positioned herself into a sleeping position. She heard the door open and feigned sleeping in hopes Giselle would leave. After a few minutes, she felt the bed shift beneath added weight. Then, she felt Giselle's hand patting her head and wondered what the older woman was up to. Just as she would've faced the woman to interrogate her, she paused when Giselle spoke.

"I'm sorry, Lydia," Giselle whispered apologetically. "So sorry…"

Confused, Lydia wondered what Giselle could've possibly been apologizing for but never moved to ask her older sister for an explanation.

*/*\*

Giselle smiled as she looked through an old photo album of when she and Lydia were younger. With nothing much to do, she had decided to look over old memories up in the manor's attic. She was looking at a particular picture of the two of them at the beach. She remembered that day like it was just yesterday. The temperatures had reached a record high that day and—as their father suggested—the entire family had gone for a swim.

Setting aside the album, she searched for something else to look through. She paused when something in the far corner caught her eye. A closer examination revealed an antique wooden box red in color with Chinese gold carvings. It was rectangular in shape and stood on four small legs. On both sides, there were buttons that opened the box when she pressed them. Inside she found Chinese silk robes and a journal amongst the clothes.

Curious, she retrieved the book and read the name written on the inside cover: Lau. Remembering her mother mention a great grandfather by the same name, Giselle assumed the journal belonged to him. Flipping through the pages, she paused when she came across a drawing. It wasn't the drawing itself that caught her attention but rather what the drawing was. A five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns with the star's single point projecting downward and Giselle remembered the pendant given to her earlier. With the identical designs, she wondered if it was coincidence…or if something else was at play?

Author's Note: Has it become a bit more interesting? Just one more chapter and the true eye candy of the story will finally make an appearance. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Poetry?

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Three: Poetry?

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

Knocking twice on Giselle's door, Lydia entered her sister's bedchamber to find the older woman lounging on her bed with the journal of their supposed great grandfather. She went to join her and Giselle scooted over to allow her room. Upon closer examination, Lydia saw Giselle had already read through a good amount of the journal. They sat like that in silence except for the sound of the crinkling papers when Giselle turned the page.

"What does he write about?" she asked.

"The earliest entry talks about how he was a servant for a noble family," Giselle answered as she shut the book and set it aside. "The following entries mention running away with another servant when he tried to protect her from their master. They were taken in by a different noble family and he was taught everything he needed to know. Apparently, the man was very successful in the trading industry. Later on, Great Grandfather actually became president of the British Branch of the Chinese trading company and—you won't believe it—but he was a friend of the Phantomhive family."

"As in the noble family that one vendor was talking about the other day?" Lydia questioned.

Giselle nodded and Lydia could tell her sister was thoroughly intrigued.

"The last head of the Phantomhive family was called Ciel. Great Grandfather wrote about how he had one extremely loyal butler who went everywhere the Earl went. His name was Sebastian Michaelis. Great Grandfather specifically wrote that he suspected this Michaelis butler was someone much more than he appeared to be."

"Why did he think that?"

"From one particular entry, Great Grandfather made it seem like the butler was just able to do anything and everything as if it was nothing. In my opinion, he could've just been a multi-talented man."

"Indeed," Lydia noted with a nod of her head. "It sounds like Great Grandfather met a fair share of interesting people during his time."

Giselle nodded and looked at the clock.

"It looks like we'll have to come back later to read more of Great Grandfather's journal," she noted. "Music lessons will begin soon."

"We'd best go before our tutor has a fit," Lydia suggested with a smile.

Giselle nodded and the girls headed to the salon.

*/*\*

"You are improving with the guzheng, Lydia," Giselle noted with praise as she helped Lydia push the Chinese harp into its rightful storage.

Lydia smiled.

"Thank you," she replied. "Hopefully, I can play just as lovely as you play the pipa someday."

"I still need more practice," Giselle said. "I'm more confident playing the cello."

"That's because you've already mastered the cello," Lydia countered. "Just as I have mastered my instrument, I feel more confident playing the piano too."

"I suppose we both need to practice more then," Giselle commented.

Lydia nodded and faced her sister after closing the storage door.

"Practice makes perfect," she stated. "Or so Mother loves to say."

Their conversation was interrupted by Giselle's maid—Bridget—who entered the salon after knocking twice.

"Pardon the intrusion, miladies," she said with a curtsey. "Miss Giselle, your guests have arrived."

"Ah yes, I almost forgot," Giselle replied. "Mrs. Williams is supposed to visit with Mrs. Andrews."

Bridget nodded.

"Miss Mary is here as well, milady," she added. "They have been situated in the east parlor already."

"Thank you, Bridget," Giselle said and faced Lydia. "Would you like to join us for tea, Lydia?"

Lydia wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"I'm not going to sit through tea with the Vulture Trio," she noted with distaste. "You know how much I don't like to be around them. They always find a way to make fun of us…especially Mary."

"Haven't I told you to stop calling them that?" Giselle questioned. "Mrs. Williams and her sister are elderly women who just tend to see a different side of us. And Mary isn't all that bad."

"You know that isn't true, Giselle," Lydia countered. "They love to swoop on the most current scandals of all sorts and tear the involved to bits. I wish you would stop accepting their visits especially when all they ever want to do is bring up _your_ incident."

The evident tightening of Giselle's form made Lydia stop spewing anymore venomous words. She bit the inside of her cheek as punishment for bringing up the incident herself.

"It'll be fine," Giselle urged but Lydia felt her sister was—more so—trying to convince herself. "It's not like they can help it. Besides, all of society can't seem to get over that incident."

"Well, I don't like it!" Lydia exclaimed. "You might be able to sit through their crap but I can't. Who knows what I may do if I have to sit through another session of their excessive taunts and jabs."

Lydia was getting mad just thinking about the last time the Vulture Trio had paid a visit to the Winchester Manor. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Giselle. The older woman was obviously distressed as well. Lydia would never understand how her sister had the patience to sit through someone's continuous poking and taunting of her.

"I suppose I will just have to leave you to your own devise then," Giselle announced.

"I'm more worried for you," Lydia replied with a hesitant expression.

"Oh hush," Giselle countered and turned to leave. "I'll be fine."

"Good luck," Lydia called.

Giselle glanced back at her with a look of disapproval. She responded with a cheeky grin and waved. The older shook her head and waved before departing from the salon. Lydia's grin faded into a line of worry and she hoped Giselle would be all right by herself. The Vulture Trio were brutal in their insistent gossip of others and—because Giselle still hadn't gotten over her incident—Lydia knew her sister wouldn't be able to handle their ridicule.

*/*\*

Mrs. Williams was a plump woman in her mid-fifties with a head of silver-gray hair tied back into a severe bun. One would think she wore her entire collection of jewelry with all the rings on her stubby fingers and the many necklaces dangling around what would've been her neck. Her light blue eyes twinkled with cheery demeanor as she turned her head at Giselle's entrance. She gave a nod of acknowledgement as her lips curved into a joyful smile. Giselle curtseyed in greeting and turned to greet the other two visitors.

No one would believe that Mrs. Andrews was the younger twin sister of Mrs. Williams. Just as Mrs. Williams was plump, her sister was thin with a slim figure and appeared frail with the lack of lively luster on her cheeks. Despite that notion, her light blue eyes—identical to Mrs. Williams' own and proof of their shared heritage—bore tough scrutiny that would make any established person doubt his worth. Her hair—just as silver-gray as Mrs. Williams—was pinned back into an intricate hairstyle giving the notion that she kept up with the current fashion trend despite her age. She nodded to Giselle but didn't smile.

"Thank you for calling today, Mrs. Williams," Giselle greeted. "Mrs. Andrews. Miss Mary."

"Of course, my dear," Mrs. Williams replied. "Why wouldn't we call on you?"

"You _are_ such an interesting character after all," Mary noted and giggled as if she had told a joke.

At eighteen, Mary was the eldest of three children for the Williams' family. She possessed the same light blue eyes as her mother and a head full of thick dark brown hair that Giselle knew the young woman was most proud of. The tresses were pulled back into a long braid while a few strands teased her eyebrows. She was gifted with a slim figure that looked outstanding in the orange summer dress she'd chosen to wear. Plump lips were curved into a smile when she stopped laughing and her face—considered beautiful by many suitors—was complimented with her small, button nose.

"How _are_ you today, Miss Giselle?" Mrs. Andrews asked as she looked over Giselle.

"Very well, thank you," Giselle replied as she situated herself into an armchair that stood far enough from the three to give her space but close enough not to be considered rude on her part.

A maid entered the room with the teacart and tea was served for the ladies.

"We called today because I heard the news, Miss Giselle," Mrs. Williams announced after she'd sipped her tea.

"News?" Giselle questioned as she nursed her own cup of tea.

"Yes, news," Mrs. Williams confirmed. "I read in the paper today that you have accepted a marriage proposal from Lord Jeremy Rivers, the Earl of Winfield."

"Imagine her delight," Mrs. Andrews commented without looking up from her cup.

"You must tell us of how you captured Earl Winfield's interest, Miss Giselle," Mary requested with a smile Giselle didn't quite trust.

Giselle managed a choked laugh as she tried to figure out what to say.

"Well…I don't know what to say," she confessed. "I suppose…to be honest, I'm not even sure how I did."

"Come now," Mrs. Williams insisted. "No need to be coy, my dear; we all know you have some tricks up your sleeve."

"How else would you have caught the Earl's attention?" Mary questioned as her eyes gleamed with an emotion Giselle couldn't quite identify.

"A woman of your experience could certainly charm any man," Mrs. Andrews commented. "Though you lack the youth and beauty of those like our Mary, you do have one advantage."

"I'm not quite sure if I understand what you're saying," Giselle answered. "Surely, Earl Winfield simply has ambitions that will be met once he marries me and receives my dowry."

"Ah, that's what many would think especially with such a match as yours," Mrs. Andrews countered. "On the contrary, who knows what the Earl is really thinking."

"Perhaps, he is simply looking for a life partner," Mrs. Williams stated. "That is, a life partner with certain qualities."

Giselle didn't miss the look the woman sent toward her twin sister.

"I'm certain Miss Giselle has _qualities_ that the Earl would appreciate," Mary announced and turned to Giselle. "After all, I believe it correct when I say you withhold _experiences_ that would probably make any man vie for your attention."

"Well, of course, any man would want a hand at that experience," Mrs. Andrews added. "Although, I suppose it is of some impression that the Earl _did_ propose marriage."

"Ah yes, that is true," Mary noted with a nod. "Perhaps—do you think—he doesn't know?"

Giselle stiffened in her seat and refused to meet eyes with any of the other three.

"How could he not know?" Mrs. Andrews questioned. "It was all over the gossip columns. The only ones who wouldn't know about it would be hermits."

"I suppose he doesn't care much for gossip columns," Mrs. Williams said.

The chatter faded into the background as Giselle struggled to keep her senses straight. Her breathing was uneven as she told herself to remain calm. Taking a sip of her tea, she realized Lydia had been right in that she should stop accepting calls from these three. The tea did nothing to calm her stress and she feared she wouldn't be able to continue this "little get together" any longer. Just as Giselle would've stood to excuse herself, the door opened and she was relieved to see Lydia.

"Ah, Miss Lydia," Mary greeted. "How kind of you to join our tea party."

"Why don't you have a seat as well?" Mrs. Williams suggested. "The tea is wonderful as it always is."

"It has been a while," Mrs. Andrews greeted. "If I wasn't certain of it myself, I would say you purposely avoid our calls."

Giselle could see Lydia hid barely contained anger behind the sweet smile on her lips.

"My apologies, ladies," Lydia announced and the words sounded forced to Giselle. "Unfortunately, my sister and I are needed in the study for private reasons."

"Well, we mustn't keep you two away then," Mrs. Andrews replied.

"Indeed," Mary said and replaced her teacup. "It was good to see you again, both of you."

"We shall call again next week, perhaps," Mrs. Williams noted with a cheery smile.

Giselle stood and could only nod as she bid the ladies farewell. She only allowed her smiling façade to break once the parlor door closed. She slumped into the armchair and rubbed at her temples she hadn't known were throbbing until then. She heard Lydia grumbling words and looked to see the younger was pacing. She couldn't help but smile at her sister's antics.

"Lydia, no need to be angry," she said.

"I stood outside for some time before coming in," Lydia announced as she faced Giselle. "I can't believe they were so rude as to speak so blatantly."

"Never mind that," Giselle insisted and stood. "What was it that Father needed?"

"It was the only excuse I could think of to get them to leave," Lydia confessed.

Giselle shook her head but smiled at her sister.

"What are we going to do with you, Lydia?" she questioned.

Lydia could only grin in answer.

*/*\*

Giselle huffed as she focused on attacking the practice dummy with her épée. Her hair—pulled back into a braid—was disheveled with loose ends pasted on her face. Sweat formed a second layer over her skin and her clothes clung to her form. With another jab, she allowed the pull of gravity to take her body and she collapsed to the ground. Her chest rose and fell with her uneven breathing and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm the locomotive rate of her heart.

Her mother had suggested shopping but she hadn't felt like going. Giselle had convinced Lydia to go and knew her sister would get her back when they returned. The thought brought a smile to her lips and she straightened up, brushing her hair out of her face. Several hours had passed since they'd left and she looked at the clock. Supper would be served soon; therefore, she decided to end her practice session. She exited from the salon to find her father headed toward her way and she curtseyed in greeting.

"Father," she greeted.

His worried expression told her he already knew of her disastrous "tea party".

"Giselle," he said and her throat closed at the apologetic tone of his voice.

"It's all right, Father," she insisted with a shrug. "The things they said…they weren't that far from the truth anyway."

The blurring of her vision told her she had started crying. She wiped at her eyes vehemently and mentally scolded herself for crying. He pulled her into his embrace and the tears threatened to spill over again as she buried her face into his shoulder. He patted her head as he made hushing sounds and she choked on the lump in her throat.

"Everything will be all right, Giselle," Lord Hastings stated. "Don't let the gossip hurt you anymore."

Giselle pulled back to look up at him.

"That's not it, Father," she replied. "I've shamed the family with my scandal and no one will ever forget. Even if you've forgiven me, Father, society will never let it be forgotten that I ruined myself. I don't even deserve to be a daughter of the Hastings name anymore…"

"It'll be all right, my dear," he insisted and wiped her tears away. "I'm proud to have you as my daughter. _You_ make me proud, Giselle; nothing is going to make me ashamed of having you for a daughter. We all make mistakes as we grow through life but we can't let those mistakes hold us back. You have to be strong in order to prevail over society. They'll forget all about it once you establish yourself as a mistress of your own home."

"Does the Earl know?" Giselle asked as she sniffed back the remainder of her tears. "Is he aware of…my past?"

"No," Lord Hastings answered.

"You should tell him, Father," Giselle said bitterly. "He probably wouldn't want to be with someone else's used goods."

"Do not talk lowly of yourself, Giselle," Lord Hastings reprimanded. "You're the daughter of the Hastings legacy; it is an _honor_ for any man to marry you."

Giselle's smile was sad even if she tried to be happy that her father held her in such high opinion.

"That was once true, Father," she whispered. "I don't think anyone would want to have me anymore after they've heard of the things I've done."

Lord Hastings moved to say more but she shook her head.

"Enough," she insisted. "I'm tired, Father; I believe I shall take a nap. Please have supper delivered to my room."

She turned to see Lydia standing a few feet away with an expression Giselle almost recognized. She swore it was envy but she didn't understand why Lydia would be envious. The younger woman was still innocent in the eyes of society after all. She hadn't shamed the family to the point of no return like Giselle had. She was their father's true daughter. With a shaky breath, she departed from the hallway and silently wished she could disappear forever so their father would never have to deal with the shame of having her for a daughter again.

*/*\*

_**You**__ make me proud, Giselle…_

No matter how many times Lydia told herself, she couldn't stop the envy that had crept upon her at her father's words. She knew she had no reason to be angry…not really anyway. Still, her eyes burned as tears threatened to spill and she bit her bottom lip to stop the urge to cry. She sighed and stared at her reflection in her vanity mirror. Deep down, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

"After all, Giselle does everything Father ever asked of her…"

_Except for one thing, of course…_

Lydia laughed and the sound was foreign to her because of the way it was laced with bitterness. She didn't understand how her father could forgive her sister for what she'd done but couldn't even listen to her side of the story when she made her own mistakes. Once again, the notion that her father loved Giselle more than herself crossed her mind and the thought sent a pang through her heart. With a sigh, she shook the thought from her mind and decided to retire to bed. She stood to change but stopped when she heard a knock at her door.

"It's Giselle," her sister called through the door. "Can I come in; there's something I want to show you."

Lydia paused in thought as she stared at the door. She didn't feel like seeing her sister at the current moment. Even so, she figured Giselle would just need a few minutes of her time before leaving her alone for the night. With a sigh, she allowed her sister entry and was surprised to see the pendant hanging around the older woman's neck.

"Why are you wearing that?" she questioned.

Giselle spared the pendant a glance and shrugged.

"I'm not sure, really," she answered. "As I was reading through more of Great Grandfather's journal, I just suddenly felt the need to wear it."

"I suppose," Lydia replied as she shut her door and joined her sister on her bed. "So, what is it that you want to show me?"

Giselle flipped the journal open to a marked page with two lines. As Lydia silently read over the words, she figured they must've been a spell of sorts. She turned her attention to Giselle who was obviously waiting for her opinion.

"What?" she asked. "They're just words."

"I think it's a spell," her sister confessed. "Do you think Great Grandfather was interested in magic?"

Lydia shrugged.

"Who knows," she commented. "Maybe he did."

Giselle nibbled at her lower lip and it was clear the older woman was deep in thought. Lydia wondered how much longer it would take for her sister to leave. Of all nights, she just wasn't in the mood tonight. With a sigh, she resolved to twisting the ring she wore on her left middle finger. It gleamed brightly as it caught the light each time she twisted the blue jewel back into view.

"Do you want to recite the words with me?" Giselle asked.

Lydia couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Why not?"

"Well…I suppose if you want to."

"Just once; then, I'll leave you alone for the night."

"All right."

Lydia ushered closer to Giselle's side. Her sister placed the journal between the both of them to allow easy reading. Giselle turned to her with a waiting look and she nodded in confirmation. Together, they cited the words of the spell.

_To time and place that are the same_

_Let past be present that time regain_

They waited for a response only for there to be none and Lydia sighed as Giselle closed the journal. Giselle chuckled as she got out of bed and faced Lydia with a sheepish look.

"I suppose that was stupid," she noted and Lydia nodded. "Well…I'll leave you alone to sleep then; good night, Lydia."

"Good night, Giselle," Lydia replied and couldn't help but smile. "Maybe Great Grandfather was just into poetry."

"Maybe," Giselle said as a smile teased her lips and she turned to leave.

Lydia stood to change only to pause when she heard a loud thump. Looking over her shoulder, her heart lurched into her throat when she saw Giselle had collapsed. Scurrying over her bed, she fell at her sister's side and flipped the woman over. Her vision blurred as she started crying, worry making her sick to the stomach.

"Giselle!" she exclaimed as she shook the woman's shoulder. "Wake up; what's wrong with you?"

She stood to get help only for her vision to swirl as if she was experiencing a dizzy spell. Falling back onto her knees, she felt warmth that started at her left middle finger. It slowly seeped through her body until it enveloped her entirely and weighed her down like lead. She fell over her sister and felt her throat constrict with worry for the woman. One question repeated itself in her mind: what the hell was going on? The last thing she remembered before darkness engulfed her world was the faint glow of Giselle's pendant as well as her ring.

Author's Note: All right, the wait is almost over! The next chapter is finally going to feature the characters of Kuroshitsuji. Then, the _true_ adventure begins! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!

P.S. – The spell was borrowed from a spell on _Charmed_ and doesn't belong to the author.

P.S. – A reviewer asked what the current time period for the girls was. To be honest, there was no thought for which time period the girls were from. Just assume that they are in a time that is modern but still holding onto traditional societal behavior. Does that make any sense? XD


	4. Phantomhive?

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Four: Phantomhive?

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

Lydia stirred when she heard the squawking of seagulls along with the shouting of men. She knew it was day because the sun was bright even without opening her eyes. When she did, she had to squint and took a moment to focus. She pushed herself onto her knees and examined her surroundings. Her brain was muddled as she tried to remember what had happened and how she had ended up amongst a bunch of cargo.

As the memories came rushing back, she stood and collapsed against a nearby box. She waited until her sense of balance returned before she decided to move. Remembering another detail, she looked around only to find Giselle wasn't within the vicinity. She wondered if the woman was all right and tried to squelch the worry that made her stomach clench. She headed out of the alcove she was in and stopped when she found herself staring into ocean water.

"I must be at the harbor," she noted and frowned. "Then…that must mean I'm in London."

Lydia didn't remember travelling to London at all. Even if she had, why would she have been sleeping by the harbor of all places? With a sigh, she headed toward what she assumed was the exit out of the cargo section. As she exited, she came to a pause as several men carrying huge sacks of unknown material walked by her. They didn't seem to notice her and she decided to head out of the area before anyone scolded her for trespassing. She didn't want to have to explain how she had woken up amongst their shipment.

As she headed toward the city, Lydia found it difficult to remember where she was going because the buildings she clearly remembered couldn't be located. She frowned with confusion as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Surely there hadn't been recent construction in London and—even if there were—she would've read it in the newspaper. Sighing once again, she headed off once more in another attempt to find her way around. She didn't stop until she realized many others were casting her weird glances and whispering amongst themselves.

She wondered what was wrong but paused in thought when she noticed the strange attire everyone else was wearing. The women all wore full-length dresses with a matching hat atop their heads while the men wore suits accompanied by top hats. She looked down at her attire and figured everyone must've been whispering about her choice of black cargo pants and an unzipped hoodie for her wardrobe. She found it stranger that everyone else was dressed so formally. No one dressed like that on a daily basis anymore from the last time she checked.

"Get back here!"

Suddenly, Lydia's sense of balance was disturbed as someone rushed past and bumped her shoulder. She turned to see a young man wearing a royal blue coat running away and wondered what his rush was. She stood in place—wondering where to go next—when she was roughly pushed from behind.

"Out of the way!"

Lydia fell to her hands and knees, wincing as pain flashed through her limbs. She looked up to see an older man running in the direction the young man had gone. Irked at being pushed around, she fisted her hands and shoved herself onto her feet. She followed in pursuit of the man with determination to give him a piece of her mind. She came upon her designated target and saw he'd pulled a knife on the young man she'd seen before.

"Yer gonna get it, ye son of a bitch," the older threatened as he lodged the knife's edge against the younger one's throat. "Sneakin' around with that dem butler of yers, I'll teach ye!"

"Get on with it, then," the younger man replied impatiently.

Lydia ran forward and rammed her shoulder into the older man. He collapsed onto his side, releasing the young man. He got to his feet and looked at her with a questioned expression. She spared him only a glance before she made her way to the older man and grabbed his shirt to pull him up into a sitting position. He groaned before shaking his head to look at her and his eyes narrowed into a cold glare.

"Who the hell 'er you?!" he demanded.

"Someone you shouldn't have messed with," Lydia answered matter-of-factly and pushed him onto the ground. "How does _that_ feel, huh?!"

With a growl, the man pushed himself to his feet and towered over her with a menacing glint in his eyes.

"I suggest ye be off on yer way, missy," he warned in a dark tone. "Unless…ye'll find yerself bein' pushed in ways yer little mind can't even comprehend." He looked her over and licked his lips in a lecherous manner. "I'll be willin' to teach ye a thing er two."

"In your dreams!" Lydia countered and backhanded the man.

The man grabbed his cheek and reached for Lydia with a growl. She sidestepped and jabbed her elbow into his back. He stumbled forward before he turned to run at her. She ran at him only to sidestep once again and—grabbing his arm closest to her—tripped him. She forced him into a forward somersault to land on his back. She moved to kick her heel down onto the man but he deflected the blow and pulled her feet out from under her.

Collapsed onto her back with the air knocked out of her, he grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her to her feet before grabbing her around the neck. She moved to struggle free but stopped when he poked her side with his knife. Holding her close, he moved the knife to press against her cheek as he began cackling. The rough sound grated against her ears and she growled with irritation.

"Pretty well trained fer a lady, eh, missy," the man commented. "I think I like that feistiness of yers."

"Let her go," the young man said. "I'm the one you want."

"Ah, she's mine now," the man countered and grazed his knife against her cheek. "Just think of all them things we'll be doin', missy; yer gonna like it, I promise ye."

"Lay off, would you," Lydia countered and winced when his hold around her neck tightened.

"That's what yer sayin' now!" he exclaimed. "But we'll see…later…"

He bellowed with laughter and Lydia felt her last nerve of patience snap. With a silent vow of seeing this man down, she kicked back against the cap of his knee with all her might and was satisfied with the sound of a deafening crack. The man released her and she rolled forward as he fell to the ground, cradling his knee. She approached him and jumped back when he swung his knife in defense. She heard a shot rang out and the knife was knocked out of the man's hand. No hesitation, she ran forward and kneed the side of his head. His head rocked to the side as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed unconscious.

"What a pain…" Lydia voiced with a huff.

She pulled back her loosened hair and blew at the stray strands. With a triumphant grin, she gave a cheer and stuck her tongue out at the man. She was tempted to kick the man again but decided enough was enough. With a sigh, she leaned onto her knees as she allowed her body to catch up and chuckled.

"I suppose you will want a reward."

Her attention was diverted when she heard another voice and remembered the young man who was with her. Straightening, she turned and stopped when she finally saw the young man who stood not too far away. His dark navy-blue hair was a fringe that framed his angular features and teased the tops of his eyes. One blue eye, rather. A black eye patch covered his right eye. She couldn't help but think he was beautiful. No, he was in no way feminine at all…but he was beautiful. He cleared his throat and she fell out of her daze. Embarrassed for staring, she coughed awkwardly before noticing the impatient look he was giving her and the gold coin he held out to her.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Payment," he answered with an exasperated sigh. "For your help, of course; you _do_ want a reward, right?"

Offended by his arrogant tone, Lydia moved to slap him but was stopped when a man dressed all in black appeared out of nowhere to grab her wrist. She struggled to free herself but his hold was firm. She turned her attention to the man only to pause when she locked eyes with his. The color—reddish brown like dried blood—was an odd color she'd never seen before. He stared down at her with a blank expression yet she couldn't help but feel intimated.

"You're late," the young man reprimanded.

The man in black smiled.

"Forgive my tardiness, Master," he replied in a deep, sultry voice. "You do always seem to have a knack for getting in trouble when you send me away with your orders."

The young man rolled his eyes.

"Nothing but a setback," he commented before turning his attention to Lydia again. "Do you want the reward or not?"

"What makes you think _I_ want a reward, you jerk?!" Lydia countered as she tried struggling free.

"My master is simply paying you for your services," the man announced, his voice sending chills up her spine and she stopped moving. "How rude it is for you to retaliate in such a manner, I must say."

"I don't need his money!" Lydia hissed and tried to struggle free again. "Let go of me!"

She stopped when the man turned her hand to examine her ring.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"None of your business!" she countered as she continued struggling. "Just let go of me and I'll leave you both alone; I wasn't the one terrorizing your master!"

"I am afraid I cannot do that," the man answered and looked to his apparent master. "Master, perhaps you would like to see this."

The young man—with an irritated expression—stepped forward to glance over her ring only to do a double take. He pulled her hand for closer scrutiny. Lydia moved to hit him only to have her other wrist caught as well. She sighed in defeat and slumped against the man who held her captive.

"Where did you find this?" the young man demanded. "How do you have it?"

"Like I'd tell you!" she snapped. "Is this how you thank those who've helped you out?"

The young man took one last look at her ring before turning his attention to her.

"I _did_ offer you payment," he noted with a smirk. "Anyways, we've wasted too much time already. Sebastian…"

"Yes," the man in black answered as he bowed.

The movement forced Lydia to bow along with him and she gritted her teeth in anger. Never had she thought she'd ever bow to another being. She tried to free herself only to fail once again. She glared daggers at the man's profile and vowed she'd get her vengeance when she had the chance.

"Take me home," the young man commanded and headed off.

"What about this girl?" the man asked.

"Bring her along," the young man answered without a glance back.

Before Lydia could voice her disapproval, she felt a quick pain on the side of her neck and silently cursed the man in black as her vision blurred into darkness.

*/*\*

Lydia awoke to find herself seated in a wooden chair with her limbs tied to the furniture. Her neck was sore from a crick and she felt achy. Attempting to pull free of her bindings, she winced when she only succeeded in tightening them and the ropes bit into her flesh. Slouching, she sighed in defeat and wondered where she was. She looked around to realize she was in a study room and wondered where the two men were.

As if on cue, the door behind her opened and she looked to see the young man from before standing in the doorway. Again, his beauty took her breath away. He was dressed in a royal blue suit that brought out the color of his eye. He eyed her with scrutiny before he made his way to sit behind the desk and continued eyeing her across the desk between them. She stared back at him and wondered what he was thinking about. The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," the young man called and Lydia turned her head to see the man in black—Sebastian, she remembered—enter the study with a tea cart.

"As you requested, Master," he announced and proceeded to serve the young man tea.

Lydia watched as they continued to ignore her presence and wondered if they were purposely doing it.

"What do you want with me?" she asked when she tired of waiting for their interrogation to begin. "I have no money or anything of value and I'm certain you already have more than you need."

"The ring on your middle finger," the young man announced as he stared over his teacup at her.

Lydia glanced down at her left hand to see her ring was gone. She gasped and her eyes widened as she looked back up at him. She attempted to free herself and hissed angrily when the ropes bit deeper into her flesh. She let out a growl of frustration.

"What did you do with it?!" she demanded. "Do you always take things that don't belong to you without permission?!"

With a sigh, the young man set his teacup down and reached into his pocket. He placed her ring onto the desk and pushed it out toward her. Once she saw the ring, she calmed down and glared at him. The edges of his lips curved into a smug smirk and Lydia told herself he was lucky she was currently bound.

"Where did you get this ring?" he asked after a sip of his tea.

"Give it back," she countered. "It's mine."

"How do I know it truly belongs to you?" he questioned. "You could have stolen it from someone else for all I know."

"You don't," Lydia replied with a shrug and gestured to her restrained limbs. "Is this how you usually treat your guests?"

The young man rolled his eyes before he looked at Sebastian and nodded. The older man set the teapot down and moved to Lydia's side. She looked up at him as he looked down at her and the reddish brown of his eyes caught her interest again. He smiled as if he knew her thoughts and proceeded to untie her. She forced down the urge to kick out at him and rubbed her wrists once they were relieved.

"Now…answer my question," the young man ordered.

Lydia leaned back in her chair and propped her right arm on the chair and leaned her head against her fist. Remembering films she'd watched when a woman was getting interrogated and would cross her legs, she decided to give it a try and attempted to cross her own leg over the other. She noticed the way the young man's eyes looked over her legs before returning to her face and—feeling awkward—adjusted her leg to set her right ankle atop her left knee. She turned her attention to her ring which gleamed from its spot on the desk.

"Do you always expect others to obey your every command?" she asked and looked back at him to see the evident frustration on his face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." She sighed and readjusted into a slouching position in her chair. "I don't know why you're so interested in the ring. It's just an old antique."

"How did you come into possession of it?" the young man asked.

"I didn't steal it," Lydia answered. "It belongs to me."

"Was it given to you?"

"You can say that…"

"Who gave it to you?"

"An elderly woman…"

"Was it an heirloom?"

"Not really…"

"Did you have to give monetary compensation for the ring?"

"Maybe…"

The young man leaned his head against his fist as he propped his arm upon his desk and sighed in frustration. Lydia realized she was probably pushing her luck when he looked back up at her with eyes full of impatience. She refused to give in and attempted to stand only to be pushed back into the chair by Sebastian. She cast him a glare, saw his smile that screamed fake pleasantries, and rolled her eyes.

"Did you…or did you not…steal that ring?" the young man asked, his jaws clenching with evident anger.

"How many times do I have to tell you I didn't steal the ring?" Lydia reiterated, getting irritated as well. "This ring belongs to me; I have _every _right to ownership."

With a sigh, the young man stood and turned away to look out the window behind his desk, clasping his hands together behind him. He was silent for a few minutes and Lydia wondered if he had decided to give up interrogating her. She peeked at Sebastian to see he was looking at her and diverted her eyes elsewhere.

"If you do not wish to cooperate…" the young man started. "…then, I shall keep you here until I receive more information whether it is from you or by my own means."

"You can't just keep me here!" Lydia exclaimed.

"You shall remain here as a maid," the young man continued as if she hadn't said anything. "Sebastian will show you to your quarters."

"You can't keep me here," Lydia repeated and stood with no restraint this time. "I have family that will worry when I don't go home."

He glanced back at her.

"They will eventually come to collect you," he noted matter-of-factly. "When that happens, they will provide me the information which _you _refuse to share with me."

"You bastard!" Lydia exclaimed. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"The head of the Phantomhive family and the heir to the earldom legacy…" the young man announced as he faced her. "…Ciel Phantomhive."

"Phantomhive?" Lydia voiced, realizing the name sounded familiar.

"Enough," the young man—Ciel—stated and looked at the older man. "Sebastian, take her to her quarters and have Mey Rin show her around."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian replied as he bowed.

"W-wait, you're seriously going to keep me here?" Lydia questioned when Sebastian faced her.

"Unless you will tell me what I wish to know?" Ciel replied.

Lydia told herself to stop being stubborn and just cooperate. Giselle was probably still out there somewhere by herself. Who knew what the other woman could be going through right at that moment. Lydia hoped her sister was all right and that—at least—she wasn't stuck with someone like this _Ciel_. Just the thought of him spiked her anger and she found herself mouthing off to him again.

"Over my dead body!" she snapped.

Ciel sat down and waved his hand in a dismissive manner before turning away in his chair. Sebastian took her by the arm and ushered her out of the room. She clenched her teeth in anger but couldn't break free of Sebastian's hold to return back into the study to give Ciel a piece of her mind. Never before had she met such an arrogant man who expected his every demand to be obeyed. As she fumed, she felt Sebastian come to a stop and she looked to find them at the bottom of a small set of stairs. He gave her a look to indicate he wanted her to stay put before he climbed the five steps to the door at the top.

Irked that he would think he could simply boss her around, she followed him up the stairs and plastered on a fake smile when he looked back at her. He shook his head but said nothing as he knocked on the door and—shortly after—the door opened to reveal a young woman with red hair styled into a square fringe. She wore a long-sleeved blue dress with matching buttons and a white pinafore with ruffled sleeves. Though Lydia couldn't see the woman's eyes because they were hidden behind a pair of thick glasses, she felt the woman was looking at her.

"Mey Rin, meet the newest addition to the household staff," Sebastian announced as he ushered back toward Lydia. "She will be a maid alongside you; I am assigning you to teach her everything she is expected to know as a proper servant of the Phantomhive household. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-y-yes, Mr. Sebastian!" the woman replied in a nervous voice.

"I shall return in half an hour to take her on the tour of the manor," he noted. "Please have her dressed properly and prepared by then."

"O-of course!" Mey Rin answered.

Sebastian nodded in approval and, with a bow to both ladies, hurried off on his own errands. Lydia returned her attention to the older woman who seemed content with staring at her and decided to start first.

"My name is Lydia Hastings," she announced with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mey Rin."

"Oh, pardon my rudeness, Lydia!" Mey Rin replied with a sheepish smile. "It is nice to meet you as well; come in, come in." She stepped out of the way as she opened the door wider. "It is good to know there will be another maid in the household, it is."

Lydia nodded and entered, shutting the door after her. She watched as Mey Rin searched through a basket of clothes and looked around the room. It was a large room with only one bed in the far right corner. In the left corner was a small vanity and to the left of that was a desk with a wooden chair. The room was rather bare and Lydia figured Mey Rin rarely spent time in her room other than to sleep.

"I think this will do, yes," Mey Rin announced as she pulled out a dress identical to hers and held it out before Lydia.

"Oh no, not a dress," Lydia said as she stepped away.

Mey Rin tilted her head in question.

"But this is the Phantomhive maid's uniform," Mey Rin noted with a nod. "It is required of you to wear the uniform, it is."

Lydia shook her head.

"Dresses and I don't go well together," she insisted. "Can't I just wear my pants?"

"Eh, well…" Mey Rin looked over her attire and scratched curiously at her own head. "I suppose you can…for now." She held out the dress once again and Lydia shirked away. "You really do not want to wear the uniform?" Lydia nodded and Mey Rin hesitated for a moment before sighing in defeat. "You will just have to discuss that with Mr. Sebastian, then, yes."

"Thank you, Mey Rin," Lydia said happily.

The older woman nodded and smiled before she set off to explaining the daily chores of the maid. Lydia listened closely and tried to absorb all the information. As she went over the large load of work, she wondered how Mey Rin was able to do it all by herself. She sighed with dismay when she realized she had a load of hard work cut out for her. What was she going to do if no one ever came for her? What if she was stuck there as a maid for the rest of her life? Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ah, Mr. Sebastian must be back to show you the manor," Mey Rin noted as she went to answer the door.

Lydia swore she saw a hint of annoyance on Sebastian's face when he saw she was still dressed in her original attire. The expression disappeared quickly and she couldn't tell if it was just her imagination or not. Regardless, she felt a small glow of triumph deep in her chest to know she had elicited an emotional response from him.

"I am afraid we are short on time," he said as he looked at his pocket watch. "I shall give you a quick tour of the mansion before I must return to my duties." He looked her over once again. "We shall discuss your attire along the way."

Sebastian headed off and Lydia followed him after bidding Mey Rin farewell with a smile.

"As we did not start off on the right foot, I shall introduce myself properly to you," Sebastian announced as they walked along. "I am Sebastian Michaelis; head butler of the Phantomhive manor. If there is anything you must or would like to know, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"I certainly won't," Lydia answered. "And my name's Lydia."

Sebastian nodded in acknowledge and continued on with the tour. Several times, Lydia wondered if he deliberately walked faster than necessary so she would have to run to keep up with him. When she could find the breath for it, she grumbled to herself and only vaguely remembered the particular rooms Sebastian showed to her. When they were making their way toward the kitchen, she heard a loud boom and felt the vibrations through the floor. She heard Sebastian let out an exasperated sigh before they continued their way.

When they arrived at the doors to the kitchen, smoke leaked through the bottom crack of the door. Sebastian opened the door and they both entered. Any surface that should've been spotless was covered in soot and ash. Lydia wondered what happened and was startled by a hand that abruptly reached up from the opposite side of the island counter. A man pulled himself up and a coughing fit erupted from his throat. Lydia could see beneath his soot covered hair that the color was blonde and he had blue-grey eyes. She assumed he was the chef because of his uniform consisting of a chef's coat along with a long apron. She saw the goggles that hung loosely around his neck and found it peculiar.

"What _are_ you doing, Bard?" Sebastian asked in a voice dripping with annoyance.

"Well, y'see…the water was taking too long to boil," Bard answered. "So, I decided to help it along with some dynamite."

Lydia was taken aback by his words. Dynamite? To help boil water faster? Did he have a death wish or was he just a fool? She heard Sebastian sigh and wondered if this happened often. She turned her attention to the man who was looking at her.

"Ah, a new face, eh?" he commented and Lydia recognized his American accent. "The name's Baldroy but you, pretty miss, can call me Bard."

"Nice to meet you, Bard," Lydia replied with a smile. "I'm Lydia."

"Nice to meet you, Lydia," he answered.

"Lydia will be helping Mey Rin around the manor," Sebastian announced. "I am currently giving her a tour." He took out his pocket watch to look at the time. "I expect to see this entire place spotless when I return, Bard." He faced Lydia. "Come this way, Lydia; we still have much to see."

"See ya around, Lydia," Bard bid as Lydia followed Sebastian from the kitchen.

They headed outside into the garden and Lydia saw a young man standing in the distance. As they approached him, she saw he wore a plain top with red piping around the collar and plaid pants along with black knee-high boots. A straw hat hung off his back and covered his nape, leaving his blonde hair exposed. He faced them and his large, turquoise-green eyes brightened as he smiled. He waved before he ran to meet them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sebastian!" he greeted enthusiastically before he turned his cheery smile on Lydia. "Is she new here? Will she be working alongside us as well?"

"Lydia will be a maid alongside Mey Rin," Sebastian answered. "I am showing her around the manor."

"Nice to meet you, Lydia," he greeted as he held out his hand. "My name is Finny; I'm the gardener."

"It's nice to meet you too, Finny," Lydia replied and decided she liked him the best out of the three servants she'd met so far.

She took a hold of his hand only to cry out when his hold nearly crushed her bones. He yelped in surprise and released her hand. She pulled it to her chest and winced when she flexed her fingers to make sure they were okay. Her attention was distracted when Finny started voicing his worry for her.

"Oh no, I've gone and done it again!" he exclaimed and shook his head viciously. "I'm sorry, Lydia! Are you all right? Did I hurt you at all? Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Calm down, Finny," Sebastian commanded.

Finny obeyed and stepped back with teary eyes. Lydia felt her heart reach out to him and she gave him a smile of reassurance. She flexed her fingers again and twirled her wrist around to show she was fine.

"I'm fine, thanks," she noted. "Don't worry; I'm a tough girl, Finny."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a worried voice. "I didn't mean to…I forget my own strength sometimes."

"It's okay," she insisted. "I'll just take it as a big welcoming handshake. After all, I'm sure we will become good friends."

"Right!" he responded with a grin. "Ah, you should probably continue your tour with Mr. Sebastian; he doesn't like to fall behind schedule."

"See you later, then, Finny," Lydia bid before she and Sebastian departed.

They made their way back into the manor and Sebastian took her to a room located down the hall from Mey Rin's room. He entered first and ushered for her to follow. She looked around the room to find it identical to Mey Rin's except there was no vanity set. She figured the room would do and faced Sebastian for the next order of business. He took a glance at his pocket watch before nodding approvingly. They had probably made good time.

"This shall be your room," he announced matter-of-factly. "You may do as you please with the decorating of the inside although I do ask you to keep propriety in mind." He stepped further into the room and paused to look her over. "Now, your choice of attire is most displeasing. I am certain you are aware it is improper of a young woman such as yourself to be seen in such clothing. It would be best if you wore the proper attire while serving the Master."

"If you're going to keep me here against my own will, I will remain in my clothes," Lydia countered. "I like wearing pants and there's nothing you can do or say that will change my opinion. I don't like wearing dresses; they hinder my movement."

"It is required of you to wear the proper uniform of the servants," Sebastian stated. "Will it take some time for you to understand that, Lydia?"

"I understand perfectly!" Lydia snapped. "_You _are the one who doesn't understand! I already said a dress hinders my movement; what part of that do you not understand?"

Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose the Master will have to deal with your lack of decorum," he commented. "I warn you, Lydia, that it would be best if you adapt to your new situation or else it will not fare well for you in the near future."

"I accept your challenge," Lydia replied. "I'm telling you now that I will not be broken so easily."

She thought she saw an amused smirk tease his lips but it was gone so quickly she thought she'd imagined it. Sebastian nodded and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and looked back at her.

"Please report to the kitchen by three o'clock," he said. "Your services will begin then."

With that, he left and Lydia found herself all alone with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered out loud.

Author's Note: The moment has finally arrived! This chapter was mainly introductions and whatnot but, don't worry, the adventure has already begun. Thanks for reading and—until the next chapter!


	5. A Guest for Dinner

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Five: A Guest for Dinner

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

Lydia groaned when she turned the corner only to find herself in another long corridor. She hadn't realized how big the Phantomhive manor was when Sebastian had taken her on the tour. Then again, she hadn't paid attention to the tour because she was busy trying to keep up with his fast pace. With a sigh, she headed down the hallway and hoped it would be the correct one. She turned at the end and smiled when she recognized the kitchen hallway. She entered the kitchen to find Sebastian decorating a floral setting.

"I specifically remember telling you to report by three o'clock, Lydia," he chided even as he continued his work.

She glanced at the clock to see it was a quarter after three.

"Well, you should've considered the fact that I might get lost," she noted and leaned against the counter.

"Why else would I have given you a tour if not to prevent you getting lost?" he questioned in nonchalance.

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"I'm here now," she countered. "Reporting for duty."

Sebastian laid aside the vase of flowers and eyed her with scrutiny. She stared back and they remained in that position until he sighed and turned away. She grinned with triumph as he went to retrieve something only to frown when he faced her again with a set of clothing. When she didn't take the clothes, he ushered them into her hold and turned back to the vase.

"After speaking with the Master, he has decided that you will be exempt from wearing a dress," he announced. "However, you are expected to wear the newly altered uniform given to you."

With a sigh, Lydia sifted through the clothes. The uniform consisted of a white blouse with a black ribbon tied into a bow at the neckline. The rest included a pair of black trouser pants and a black overcoat with cuffs. Lydia smiled as she held them out for examination and nodded with approval. She folded the clothes and straightened up before returning her attention to Sebastian.

"Be prompt, Lydia," he ordered. "I expect you back in no more than ten minutes. We have a guest coming for dinner and the Master expects us to give the utmost hospitality."

"Yessir," Lydia replied as she gave a salute and headed off to change.

*/*\*

By the time Lydia returned, Sebastian was no longer in the kitchen and there were only the other servants. She noticed an elderly man who was dressed similarly to Sebastian and wondered if he was another butler. She went to join them and was cheerily greeted by Finny and Mey Rin. The four looked over her attire and she almost laughed at their expressions.

"That's quite an interesting uniform for you, Miss Lydia," Finny announced.

"Yes, it is," Mey Rin agreed.

"How're you to go about helping Mey Rin while dressed like that?" Bard questioned.

"I actually move better in these," Lydia answered as she modeled the pants for them. "Dresses are too heavy and the many layers are soOo agonizing."

"I suppose that is true, yes," Mey Rin noted. "I'm glad the Master has accommodated your request, Miss Lydia."

"I am too," Lydia replied and turned her attention to the fourth servant. "I don't believe we've met yet."

The elderly man had grey hair and a mustache that was just as grey. He held an oriental teacup in his hands while he watched her through a monocle. With a warm smile, he nodded to her in greeting.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive staff, my dear," he greeted in a soft voice. "I am the steward of the manor. My name is Tanaka."

"It's nice to meet you, Tanaka," Lydia replied with a smile. "My name is Lydia."

"I hope you will grow to like it here," he said before taking a sip of his tea. "There are only a few of us and so we are like family here."

"I hope so too," Lydia commented. "I suppose it wouldn't-"

She was surprised when Tanaka started snoring and examined him closer to find him sleeping. She turned to the others with a confused look and they laughed.

"Tanaka is like that," Bard answered.

"Yeah, he has narlosepcy," Finny added.

"Not narlosepcy, Finny," Mey Rin scolded. "It's narsolepcy."

Lydia found herself even more confused.

"Do you mean...narcolepsy?" she questioned.

"Yeah, that's it!" Finny and Mey Rin interjected.

"It comes and goes," Bard explained. "He can stay awake for several hours at a time while sometimes he can't even stay awake for more than a few minutes."

"I see," Lydia replied as she looked at the elderly man. "Well, anyways...where's Sebastian?"

"The Master called him away," Mey Rin answered.

"We were just planning to surprise him," Bard announced. "We're going to do all the preparations to make a hospitable dinner. Plus, we'll do such a great job at it that he'll be so amazed that his jaw will drop."

Finny and Mey Rin nodded in excitement and Lydia couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

"Well, if you plan on doing that, we'd better get started right away," she suggested.

"Yes, ma'am!" the other three interjected.

"Ho, ho, ho..."

Lydia turned her attention to Tanaka to see he was still sound asleep and shook her head even as she smiled. Turning her attention back to the others, she heard Finny would be going outside to take out all the weeds. Bard stated he would help Sebastian cook the slab of meat that lay waiting on the kitchen counter. When both guys headed off, Mey Rin faced Lydia and smiled.

"I believe we should take out the fine china for our guest," she announced. "Will you help me retrieve it, Miss Lydia?"

"No problem," Lydia replied. "Lead the way, Mey Rin."

"Right this way," Mey Rin said as she headed off and Lydia followed.

They entered a room several doors down and Lydia looked around at the surroundings. Many cupboards lined the walls and were filled with many different types of chinaware. Mey Rin moved toward the back of the room and stopped in front of the designated cupboard. She mentioned the needed chinaware was at the very top and Lydia saw it would take someone taller to retrieve them from up there. Instead, Mey Rin grabbed a stepping stool nearby and proceeded to grab the plates.

"Are you sure that's safe, Mey Rin?" Lydia questioned when she noticed how wobbly the stool was.

Rather than grabbing just a few at a time, Mey Rin had the entire stack in her hold. Lydia watched cautiously as the red head attempted to step down from the stool. The stack began tilting and Lydia moved forward to grab some. The stool wobbled and Mey Rin cried out as she lost her balance. A gasp escaped Lydia's lips as Mey Rin dropped the stack and she was only able to catch one plate before the red head fell onto her, knocking the air out of her.

"Oh no!" Mey Rin exclaimed as she removed herself from atop Lydia. "Are you all right, Miss Lydia?"

"I can't feel my ribs," Lydia replied in a hoarse voice.

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry!" Mey Rin interjected as she attempted to help Lydia sit up.

Lydia cried out as pain flashed through her chest and groaned as she rubbed at the aching spot. The pain receded and she took a breath to test if there were any injuries. When no pain came, she sighed and stood with Mey Rin's help. She examined the single plate she held and looked down at the broken mess of chinaware. What were they going to do now?

"How exactly did _this_ come about?"

Lydia and Mey Rin turned to see Sebastian standing in the doorway. He had a look of disapproval as he looked over the mess. Mey Rin rushed to the butler and began sputtering excuses that Lydia couldn't decipher. Sebastian sighed as he rubbed at his temple before turning his attention to Lydia. She stiffened in response as he approached her and prepared for what he had to say.

"Lydia...you were hired to help Mey Rin with her work," he noted matter-of-factly. "What were you doing?"

"I did try to help her!" she snapped. "She slipped so suddenly that I had no time to do anything." She waved the lone plate she held in front of his face. "I managed to save _one_ plate!"

Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose it cannot be helped," he stated nonchalantly. "I shall have to replace them again."

He turned away and headed out of the room. Mey Rin followed after him and Lydia figured she was supposed to follow as well. She saw Finny, Bard, and Tanaka were all waiting before the kitchen entrance. She saw the look of disappointment on Bard's face and glanced into the kitchen to see what happened. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the entire counter was charred as if someone had taken a flamethrower to it.

She turned her attention to the others to hear Finny mention how he'd used undiluted weed killer on the lawn. Lydia feared what the yard must've looked like. Taking a glance at Sebastian to see he appeared to be beyond irritated, she figured the sight probably wasn't good. Why on earth had Finny decided to use undiluted weed killer?

"We're sorry, Mr. Sebastian!" Finny and Mey Rin exclaimed.

The two unleashed a whining cry that went unnoticed by Sebastian as he appeared to be in deep thought. Lydia found herself wondering if these disastrous moments happened often. Bard kept his eyes glued to the ground as he continued moping. Tanaka sat not too far away and she noticed he was asleep.

"Calm down, all of you!" Sebastian suddenly announced. "Now, listen to me; take a page from Tanaka's book and behave like—" He seemed to pause as if he'd been hit with an idea and looked at the elderly man. "Everyone, listen carefully to what I'm about to say and act immediately." He removed the oriental teacup from Tanaka's hold—disturbing the elderly man from his sleep—and held up the cup. "We'll manage with this."

"How are we going to manage with just an oriental teacup?" Lydia questioned.

The others all stared at her and she stared back, determined not to feel stupid for asking such a question. Sebastian shook his head as he returned the cup to Tanaka and proceeded to give the other servants designated chores. Lydia grumbled under her breath at being ignored and continued to do so until Sebastian called her. She looked up to find she was alone with him and wondered where the others had gone. She realized he was eyeing her with an expression she couldn't identify and looked away. She remembered she still held the single plate and faced him again.

"What do you want me to do with this?" she questioned.

Sebastian stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before he responded by taking the plate and disappearing into the kitchen. With a huff of irritation, she decided to follow after Mey Rin in hopes she would be able to prevent any further disasters.

*/*\*

"Wow," Lydia voiced when she stepped outside to see the Phantomhive yard had been altered to look like a Japanese stone garden.

With no time to spare as the guest was arriving, Lydia and the other servants all lined up to welcome the guest. The carriage drove up and stopped for a middle-aged man to exit from the vehicle. Dressed in a beige trench coat with a top hat, he was the image of a nobleman. He stared over the stone garden in awe and Sebastian went on to mention the origins of the design. Dinner would be served on the terrace outside that night and Sebastian requested the man to wait in the manor until dinner was ready.

"That's the house of Phantomhive for you," the man—Mr. Damiano, Lydia heard—stated with a chuckle. "I can't wait until this evening."

Tanaka led him to the entrance and closed the door behind them once they entered. Mey Rin, Bard, and Finny all dropped their façade of proper servants. Finny smiled with glee while Mey Rin let out an exhausted sigh. Bard wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"We made it in time," he stated thankfully.

Finny looked out toward the stone garden.

"Who would've thought the gravel I rushed out to buy would make such a great garden?!" he exclaimed with excitement.

Sebastian walked past them but paused to look back with a smirk that Lydia found rather smug.

"A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much isn't worth his salt," he announced.

Lydia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she saw the look Sebastian sent her way.

"There's still work to be done," Sebastian continued. "Let's get to it while the Master is talking business with his guest."

"Right," the other servants said.

Sebastian walked off and the servants followed. Lydia paused to examine the stone garden and found herself wondering. How was Sebastian able to decorate the yard in such a short amount of time? Thinking of the work load it must've taken, she let out a tired sigh.

"Are you all right, Miss Lydia?" Finny questioned.

She looked to see the young man eyeing her with worry and she plastered on a smile.

"I'm fine, thank you," she answered. "I just haven't done this much work in quite a while."

"You must be exhausted, Miss Lydia," he noted with worry.

"It's no problem, Finny," Lydia replied. "Come, we better hurry."

With a response of his bright smile, Lydia walked with Finny as they hurried to follow after the other two who'd already gone ahead. As soon as they entered the kitchen, Bard was already cutting the slab of meat he'd burnt to a charring crisp into thin slices. Sebastian was overlooking his process when Mey Rin called from down the hallway.

"Sebastian!"

Lydia turned to see the woman was running toward them. She was dismayed by the fact the woman was holding five stacked boxes that blocked her vision. Lydia feared the woman would have another disastrous accident.

"I found them, yes!" Mey Rin exclaimed.

Just as the words left her lips, she tripped and fell forward with the boxes tumbling down. Lydia gasped but didn't have to move far when Sebastian was able to catch all the boxes by himself. Lydia found herself impressed with how he'd caught four boxes in one hand while one he'd caught with his foot. Mey Rin rammed into Sebastian's form but he didn't even move from the impact. The red head pulled away as her cheeks flamed into a reddish color of embarrassment.

"I can't believe you," Sebastian reprimanded. "How many times have I told you not to run inside the manor?"

Mey Rin scurried several feet back as she vehemently shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, yes!" she interjected. "My glasses are cracked and I can't really see where I'm going."

Lydia was dismayed by the announcement and realized that might've been why the woman was prone to such disastrous accidents. She felt sorry for the woman and told herself to help look out for the red head more often. She turned her attention to Sebastian to see him kick the last box up to join with the other four. Again, she was impressed with his antics and found herself wondering. Was he really just a butler?

"Now, we don't have to worry about the key players," Sebastian announced.

Finny and Bard exited from the kitchen while Mey Rin joined Lydia's side. Sebastian smiled and his eyes crinkled at the expression. It would've been endearing if Lydia didn't notice how fake the expression was. She frowned.

"Good work," he praised and Lydia could hear the false emotion behind those words as well. "Leave the rest to me and take a break. I ask that you behave very _very_ well."

With that, he walked off and Lydia wondered what he meant by "behave". She turned to the others and was surprised to see Mey Rin was in a daze. The woman's cheeks were still bright red as ever and Lydia found it amusing. She waved a hand before the woman's face but received no response.

"Mey Rin?" she questioned.

"Y-yes!" Mey Rin replied when she snapped out of her daze. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, Miss Lydia!"

"Are you all right?" Lydia asked.

"I'm f-fine, yes!" Mey Rin answered.

The woman scurried away mumbling something about being in such close vicinity. Confused, Lydia wondered what the woman was mumbling about. She was startled when a cool cloth was held to her forehead and turned to find Finny smiling shyly at her. He proceeded to wipe her face down with the cloth.

"You look tired, Miss Lydia," he noted and held the cloth out to her. "I just thought you could use some refreshing up."

Lydia's heart clenched at the endearing gesture and she smiled genuinely as she took the cloth.

"How thoughtful of you, Finny," she stated. "Thank you."

Finny nodded and smiled brightly, making Lydia think her younger brother would act the same if she'd had one.

*/*\*

Lydia hadn't realized just how tired she was until she slipped into her room to see her bed. Leaving only her unbuttoned blouse on, she gave out a sigh of relief as she collapsed onto her bed. The day had brought tiring events and Mey Rin must've noticed because the woman had told Lydia she could retire for the night and the red head would handle the rest of the work. Lydia found herself wondering how Mey Rin managed to handle all of the maid's work alone. Especially with such a klutzy behavior and how she always somehow got herself into more disasters. Lydia shuddered at the memories of what she'd experienced just that day.

Earlier, she'd found Mey Rin supposedly polishing the banister in the main hall. Only to find out the woman was using shoeshine rather than polisher. She'd had to remedy the situation by wiping down the banister undoing all of the maid's work. Then, they'd gone to wash the linens and left to air some rooms. By the time they'd returned, Lydia was dismayed to find the washing machine had overflowed with sudsy bubbles. Mey Rin had squealed in horror as she rushed in to remedy the disaster and Lydia discovered the maid had put in too much detergent, giving 60 scoops instead of the instructed two.

Not to mention the near disaster during a dinner that almost would've been uneventful if it hadn't been for Mey Rin's sudden skittery behavior. Thinking back on it now, Lydia noted the woman had been fine until Sebastian had stepped up to whisper into her ear. She frowned in thought and wondered if—perhaps—the woman liked the butler. Because of Mey Rin's shaky hands, she'd spilled the wine and everyone had watched on in horror as it soaked into the tablecloth. Sebastian had saved the day by pulling the tablecloth out from under the plates to prevent the mess from worsening. Lydia had been thoroughly impressed by Sebastian's antic and figured he probably was as he'd described earlier to Mr. Damiano.

_I'm simply one hell of a butler…_

A loud scream interrupted Lydia's thoughts and she wondered what was going on. Getting to her feet, she quickly slipped on her pants and hurried to find the source. As she entered the main hall, she didn't see anyone except for Mey Rin who stood on the other side. The woman appeared to be mumbling to herself again. With a smile, Lydia went to join her side and startled the woman.

"Oh! I didn't see you there, Miss Lydia," the woman noted.

Lydia noticed how Mey Rin's cheeks were bright red and wondered if she'd been thinking about Sebastian.

"Mey Rin, can I ask you something?" she questioned.

"Of course, Miss Lydia," the red head replied. "Anything."

"Do you like Sebastian?"

With how her cheeks flamed up even more, Lydia didn't need a verbal response to know she'd been correct. Although she had no idea what Mey Rin saw in the mysterious butler, she knew people did have their own tastes in men and decided to leave it at that. Sebastian was a fine looking man but she would never allow herself to admit it and never out loud. She smiled and shook her head when the woman still hadn't answered.

"You don't have to answer that, Mey Rin," she stated. "I was just curious…especially since you get so embarrassed whenever he's in close vicinity with you." Although Lydia didn't think it was possible, the red head blushed even more and Lydia found it amusing. "Don't worry, Mey Rin; your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Miss Lydia," Mey Rin replied. "I suppose I need to do better to hide my emotions." She gained a fanciful look and Lydia realized the woman was now daydreaming. "It's just…he's such a fine man." She dazed off and Lydia struggled to keep her laughter back. "Oh, how shameful; I'm such a lecherous maid!"

The exclamation took Lydia by surprise and she stepped back to avoid getting hit by the woman who was flailing her arms along with the bucket in her hand. She abruptly stopped flailing and Lydia saw the bucket had detached from the handle. They heard a loud pain-filled scream along with the evident sound of someone tumbling down the stairs. They both went to see Mr. Damiano collapsed at the bottom of the stairs.

"A-are you all right?" Mey Rin called as she rushed forward to help the man only to pause and back away. "His…his leg is twisted the wrong way!"

Finny and Bard entered the hall carrying the picture that Lydia vaguely remembered had hung at the top of the hall stairs.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bard called.

"O-our guest…" Mey Rin struggled to explain.

Lydia moved forward and gasped when she saw that—indeed—the man's leg was twisted the wrong way. The sight made Lydia's stomach clench with disgust. She, however, shoved down the wave and moved to help the man. He came out of his wave of pain when she touched his shoulder only to slap her hand away as he cried out in horror. She noticed he was staring at the picture Finny and Bard were carrying before he struggled to crawl away.

"S-sir?" Mey Rin called after the man.

Lydia hurried after Mr. Damiano in hopes to help the man and wondered what it was that spooked him. She followed him all the way to the servant quarters but couldn't find him when she arrived in the kitchen hallway. She did, however, find Sebastian who turned to look at her as she approached. She figured she had no choice but to report to him of Mr. Damiano's situation.

"Um…the guest was injured and I believe he crawled this way," she announced and realized how crazy she must've sounded. "Have you seen him?"

"You may retire for the night, Lydia," Sebastian announced. "I will take care of our guest."

"But—"

"That is an order."

Lydia huffed with disapproval and placed her hands on her hips.

"I don't take lightly to being ordered around like a dog," she stated.

Sebastian's eyes seemed to rove over her figure and she felt violated even though he hadn't even done anything.

"I do not believe you will be of much help with the guest, Lydia," he replied. "Especially when you are dressed in such a disheveled manner."

Lydia looked down at her attire only to realize she hadn't buttoned her blouse which had left her bosom exposed for the world to see. Thank goodness she had worn her tank top. She hurriedly buttoned up the shirt and eyed Sebastian to see a slight smirk teasing the man's lips. She found herself enraged that the man would find such amusement in her misfortune. At the same time, she wanted to get away from him as far as possible.

"Fine!" she exclaimed as she gritted her teeth. "Go and take care of the guest! See if I ever decide to help again!"

With that, she turned on her heels and hurried back to her room unaware of the reddish eyes that turned an eerie pink as they stared after her.

Author's Note: All right, here we go! ^^ If readers have noticed, Tanaka doesn't ever go into a chibi form because it has been decided that this story will try to be as realistically possible when pertaining to chibi forms and whatnot. SoOo, instead of going into his chibi form due to lack of heat energy, Tanaka will fall asleep! Thanks for reading and—until the next chapter! =)


	6. Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Six: Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

The cold temperature woke Giselle from her slumber and she sat up to find herself in a garden. A look at her surroundings confirmed she was outside in the courtyard but she didn't recognize the area. She walked the gardens of Winchester Manor often and would know where she was even with a blindfold. The inability to locate where she was worried her and she wondered if she was even home. A snap from the left sent her senses screaming to flee and she stood up as a man entered the area from an archway she'd overlooked.

He wore the uniform of a butler but she didn't recognize who he was. He shifted his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose as he eyed her with scrutiny. The way he looked over her form made her want to shrink into the shadows. He lifted his gaze to lock with hers and he strode toward her with precise moves. When he stood just a few feet from her, she noticed how tall he was with how he towered over her but she told herself not to be intimated.

"Who are you?" the man interrogated. "How did you get here?"

"I…I don't remember," Giselle answered. "I woke up here."

"What is your name?"

"Giselle…Hastings."

The man appeared to be in deep thought as he pondered her name. She held her breath as she waited for the recognition which would be followed by the knowledge of her most dreaded mistake. He looked her over once more and she didn't see the hint of recognition in his eyes. Perhaps, he didn't know who she was. For once, Giselle was glad but wondered who the man worked for if he wasn't aware of society's gossip. He took her by surprise by bowing from the waist with a hand across his chest.

"My apologies, Miss," he greeted as he straightened. "May I ask how you came across here?"

Giselle looked around and—again—couldn't decipher where she was.

"Um…well, I'm not quite sure," she answered. "I don't remember how I got here."

She noticed a slight quirk of the man's eyebrows but—other than that—his face remained stoic.

"I see," he stated. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"I remember being in my sister's bedchambers when I suddenly felt a dizzy spell," she replied. At the thought of her sister, Giselle gasped and looked around for Lydia only to find the younger woman absent. "My sister!"

"There is no one else here, Miss," the man noted. "I have made my rounds and only found you."

"I see," she said. "Um…could you tell me where I am? How far is London from here?"

"London is a day's drive from here," the man answered. "Is that your destination?"

Giselle calculated that she was closer to London than the Winchester Manor and decided the city would be her best bet for now.

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "I don't mean to trouble you but—"

"The Master is in a business meeting right now," the man announced. "He prefers not to be bothered during such times. You are welcome to wait inside the manor, Miss." He looked over her form once more. "Perhaps, we can even find a change of clothes for you."

Giselle looked down at herself and flushed when she remembered she was only wearing a long shirt she'd reserved strictly for sleeping. To make matters worse, the hem of the shirt barely grazed the tops of her knees and left her legs in full view. Thank goodness the neckline was modest and barely showed the tips of her collar bones. No wonder the man had been staring her down earlier.

"Um…that would be appreciated, thank you," she replied.

He bowed once more and turned away.

"This way," he said before heading off.

Giselle barely made a few steps before she stepped on pebble. Because of the sharp pain, her legs buckled beneath her. She would have gone tumbling to the ground if the man hadn't caught her by the arm. She looked up and locked eyes with him, realizing their color was a strange golden yellow. His eyes trailed down her face and lower to stop at her chest. She felt fire in her cheeks and tried to pull free but he never released her arm.

His other hand reached up and touched the pendant hanging around her neck. She'd forgotten she was wearing the thing and wondered if he would accuse her of Satanism. As he lifted the pendant higher for examination, she saw his eyebrows furrow in thought. Then, he turned his attention to her and her breath stopped short in her throat. He leaned in closer to where their lips almost touched and a small gasp of surprise escaped her lips.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"U-uh…at a flea market," she answered. "W-why?"

"It is not wise for a lady such as yourself to be wearing such a trinket," he stated. "Tell me…do you have any idea what this symbol means?"

Giselle felt her heart jumpstart into locomotive motion and she feared he would accuse her of being an occult follower.

"N-no…"

His golden eyes seem to take on an eerie gleam as he stared down at her. Then—as if he'd been awoken from a spell—he blinked and his eyes were normal again. The tips of his lips shifted ever so slightly into a small smile. He leaned in and his breath tickled her exposed neck as he spoke.

"Perhaps, I shall tell you another time, Miss," he whispered and released her. "Come, the Master is waiting."

Steeling her nerves, Giselle gulped to calm her heart as she slowly started after the butler. Her arm where he'd touched still felt warm as if the memory of his touch had been burned into her skin. Rubbing absently at the spot, she hurried to keep up with the man. As she followed, she prayed she'd find a way to London and—hopefully, from there—she would find Lydia too.

*/*\*

The master of the household was a man who must've been no more than a year or two younger than Giselle herself. With light-blond hair that was complimented with light-blue eyes, he was every bit the handsome nobleman Giselle would expect from such an extravagant manor. He wore a forest green vest that had black lining over a white collar shirt with a dark grey-black ribbon tied into a bow at his neck. He wore brown breeches under brown boots that had purple laces. His form was slim which made Giselle wonder if the man had enough to eat although it was a stupid thought because—of course, he was well fed. He was a nobleman after all.

"I've been told you are headed for London?" he asked with a side grin as he sat back in his chair.

"Yes," Giselle answered with a bow of her head. "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to request transportation."

"Is that all?" the man questioned. "Well, that's no fun; are you sure you don't want me to hire you?"

Giselle looked up and frowned.

"No, I'm not looking for a job, milord," she answered firmly.

He sighed and gave a shrug.

"Your loss," he commented and turned to the butler who stood two feet away. "Call a carriage for her if that's what she wants."

_Carriage?_

He looked at Giselle and grinned.

"Are you sure you don't want to join my household? I think those clothes suit you rather well."

Giselle didn't know whether she was being insulted or complimented. After entering the manor, the butler had left her in the maid's care while he disappeared down another corridor. With light brown skin that contrasted against her pale-lavender hair, the maid was a beautiful woman who was probably several years Giselle's senior. Her indigo eyes had held an eerie glint to them as she'd stared Giselle down before leading her to the servant's quarters. There, she'd pulled out a maid's dress similar to her own—minus the white apron—and gave it to Giselle to change into.

"I'm thankful for your generosity, milord," she announced and stood to curtsey. "But I must find my sister who might be in London."

"I suppose," the man replied with a sigh before a smirk teased the edge of his lips. "That pendant of yours…"

"Y-yes?"

Giselle saw the way his eyes glanced at the butler before he shook his head.

"Never mind," he said. "You probably wouldn't even believe me."

"Milord?"

He stood and pasted on a smile that Giselle knew Lydia would've said _screamed with fake formalities_. His eyes held an emotion that sent a chill through her.

"Good day, Miss," he bid. "I'm certain we'll meet each other again soon."

Giselle left the office wondering what he could've possibly meant by those last words. As she made her way to the front entrance, she heard movement and looked over her shoulder to see two figures moving through the corridor behind her. At first, she thought her vision was fooling her but a double take confirmed two identical men were there. They paused to look at her and she noticed the only difference between the two was their fringe. One had his swept to the left while the other left his to fall in a point to the center. She felt a chill down her spine when she noticed the red color of their eyes. They bowed to her and she managed a curtsey before they continued on their way.

"How strange…" she muttered to herself.

The golden-eyed butler was waiting for her outside the front entrance. He bowed to her before escorting her out to the awaiting carriage. At the reigns was another man who looked identical to the two she'd seen within the manor. He had his fringe swept to the right and Giselle wondered if that was how their Master differentiated between the three. She noticed he even had the same red eyes and felt another chill down her spine. The golden-eyed man opened the carriage door and held his hand out to her. Hesitant, Giselle found herself unable to take his hand.

Instead, he reached for hers and the way he gripped her hand sent strange sensations through her arm. She boarded the vehicle and pulled away, feeling as if she'd been stung by the contact. He gave her a long stare as if perhaps he'd felt the same before he closed the door. She heard him instruct the driver to head for London before returning his attention to her. It seemed as if he was looking deep into her soul with how he stared at her. The edges of his lips quirked into a side smile before he bowed from the waist with a hand over his chest.

"May you have a safe journey, Miss," he bid.

"Thank you," Giselle answered and remembered one detail she'd overlooked. "Wait, I never learned your name."

She never heard his name though because—at the exact moment—the horse neighed as the driver started the carriage on the long journey to London. All she saw was the movement of his lips as the carriage pulled away. She stuck her head out the window to look back at him until the carriage turned out from the manor's gates. Even when the vehicle was far along in the journey to London, Giselle couldn't get the image of the man's golden eyes out of her mind.

*/*\*

_Since when had London changed so much?_

Because she couldn't recognize any of the buildings, Giselle found herself even more lost than before. Had there been construction without her knowing about it? She sighed as she looked around at her surroundings and wondered where she was. The only place she recognized was the bridge that overlooked the river Thames. How on earth was she going to get home now?

Aside from the completely different London, Giselle also noticed the strange clothing everyone else was wearing. Many of the women wore full-length dresses with a matching hat or a bonnet while the men wore suits accompanied by top hats. These clothes were of the past and it was if she'd stepped back in time. She paused at the thought and remembered the lines she and Lydia had recited before she'd lost consciousness. Had they really gone back in time? If so, where was Lydia?

With a sigh, Giselle decided the first thing to do would be to look for a place to stay. She headed off in the direction she remembered to be where the hotels were located. Successfully, she was able to find one but was dismayed by the fact she had no money. Departing from the building, she looked up at the sky and wondered what she could possibly do. She didn't even have anything on her that she could sell. Remembering the pendant, she pulled it out to look at it but rethought about it. With a shake of her head, she let out a sigh of defeat. She would most likely be hung for being a Satanist before she could sell the thing for money.

Suddenly, her sense of balance was disturbed and she toppled to the ground. She winced as pain flashed through her knees and palms. Easing into a kneeling position, she rubbed her hands to ease the pain. She looked up to see a gloved hand held out to her and her eyes traveled up the arm to see a man standing before her. He had black hair that was styled into a fringe and his clothes told her he was a butler. He had an otherworldly aura to him that made Giselle nervous but it was his eyes that caught her interest. They were a reddish-brown—like dried blood.

"Are you all right, Miss?" he asked in a velvet-soft voice that sent unidentifiable churnings through her stomach.

"I…I'm fine," she answered and finally took his offered hand which allowed him to help her stand. "Thank you."

"Best be careful, Miss," the man replied. "You could injure yourself."

"Yes," Giselle said in agreement and paused when he reached for the pendant around her neck.

"Where did you get this?" he questioned.

She bit her bottom lip and scolded herself for not keeping it better hidden. She watched as he traced the design with his thumb before looking back up at her. Her breath stopped short in her throat when she saw his eyes had taken on an eerie glow much like the golden-eyed butler's eyes had. She attempted to pull away but his hand moved to grab onto her wrist. He pulled her close and her heart leapt up into her throat at the proximity of their faces.

"S-sir?" she stuttered.

"Sebastian."

Giselle turned her head to see a young man approach them. Despite the walking stick he held, he moved with graceful purpose and Giselle knew he was a nobleman. He wore an eye patch but that didn't hide the irritation on his facial features as he huffed impatiently when he came to stop before them. His good eye was a deep blue that matched the overcoat he wore. Dark navy-blue hair peeked out from beneath his top hat. With a sharp jawline that had a masculine set to it, the man was good looking. Beautiful was more like it but in no way was he feminine, no. Glaring at his apparent butler, he spared Giselle a glance before his eye fell to her pendant and she thought she saw surprise light up the features of his face.

"How did you come across that trinket?" he asked.

Giselle saw his initial surprise was gone and wondered if he knew the significance of the symbol.

"I…bought it," she answered.

"And why would a lady such as yourself buy something with a symbol such as this?" the butler asked.

She looked up at him and—from the look in his eyes—she knew he was aware of the symbol's meaning. She looked back at the young man to see he waited for her answer too. What was she going to say in order for the two to leave her alone?

"W-well…I didn't buy it," she explained. "My sister…she bought a ring and this pendant came with it. My sister didn't want the pendant so I kept it." She attempted to pull away and sucked in her breath when the man's hold tightened on her wrist. "Please…I'm not really an occult follower. I'm just looking for my sister who is probably lost somewhere here in London."

"Your sister?" the butler questioned and a suspecting glint appeared in his eyes. "Perhaps, the same sister who bought the ring that this pendant came with?"

"She is my one and only sister, yes," Giselle answered but didn't understand. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"What kind of ring did your sister buy?" the young man asked.

"Um…well, it was an ornate silver piece," Giselle described as she tried to remember. "It had an emerald-cut deep blue stone…probably a sapphire."

"Ah, I believe we have found the source to all your answers, Master," the butler noted and Giselle's heart lurched at what he could possibly mean.

"Wh-what do you plan to do with me?"

"No need to worry, Miss," the butler answered with a smile. "Your sister's name...couldn't be Lydia, could it?"

Giselle's eyes widened as her nerves went into overdrive.

"You know my sister?" she questioned. "Where is she? Is she safe? If you've done anything to hurt her—"

"She is fine," the young man interrupted impatiently. "Now, will you cooperate and come with us or shall Sebastian have to carry you?"

Giselle's jaw dropped at the absurdity of that image.

"I can walk myself, thank you," she countered with a huff.

"Let us be on our way, then."

With that, the young man turned away and headed off toward where—Giselle assumed—his carriage waited. The butler released her and she rubbed at her wrist. He spared her an apologetic glance before holding his hand out to indicate her to go first. Stuffing the pendant back under her bodice, she sighed and hoped she would reunite with Lydia again soon. When they arrived at the carriage, the butler helped her into the carriage before the young man entered to sit across from her. Their knees brushed which sent Giselle's heart into uneven palpitations and she realized it had been a long time since she'd been alone with a man in a vehicle.

They both remained silent as they waited for the carriage to be on its way. Giselle stole glances at the young man only to find him looking out the window with his chin propped upon his fist. His expression was unreadable but Giselle felt as though he was bored. She wanted to say something but didn't know if he would willingly answer her questions. Perhaps, it would be best if she just remained silent for the ride until he was ready to talk. It wasn't until the carriage had departed from the city that the young man finally spoke.

"What is your name?" he asked.

Giselle turned from her window but he was still looking out his.

"Giselle," she answered and expected him to share his name but he didn't. "May I ask what is yours?"

He turned to stare at her with an expression that told her he wasn't one to answer questions.

"I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive," he answered after some time, surprising her. "The man earlier is my butler: Sebastian Michaelis."

_Ciel Phantomhive? Sebastian Michaelis?_

Giselle searched her mind for the reason why the names sounded familiar. Her blood ran cold when she remembered the name of the noble family who worked for the Queen long ago. The Queen's Watchdogs, they had been called. She thought back on her Great Grandfather's journal entries about the last head of the noble family long ago and his multi-talented butler. Could these two men she'd just met really be the same men her Great Grandfather had known? If so, that meant she—as well as Lydia—really had traveled back in time. How on earth were they going to get back home?

*/*\*

Lydia scrubbed at the stairs with vicious intent as she grumbled under her breath. Thanks to Madam Red's so-called butler, Grell, she was stuck with cleaning duty. The man couldn't even do anything correctly and she'd thought Ciel's servants' skills were questionable. Because of the poor excuse of a butler—especially when compared to Sebastian but she didn't want to think on that—the manor was a disaster and she was alone in cleaning. The other servants were busy trying to keep Grell occupied while she tried to remedy whatever the man had destroyed. She had insisted on doing it alone because she feared what other disaster would occur if Mey Rin had helped.

With a sigh, she tossed the scrub into the bucket of dirty water and stood. As she wiped her forehead with her sleeve, she wondered if the servants were doing okay with Grell. They had all agreed to take the man out back to help trim the hedges. Hopefully, they were all right. She cast an appreciative glance over her work before sighing once more and headed into the next order of business. She heard the front doors open and turned to see two young women enter the foyer. Setting the bucket down, she smoothed her jacket before making her way toward the ladies with Sebastian's words of warning from earlier.

_While we are gone, I expect you to be of utmost responsible for everything, Lydia…_

_Should there be any guests, please watch your manner and mind that tongue of yours…_

She rolled her eyes at the memory but greeted the ladies with the most pleasant voice she could muster and bowed.

"Welcome, ladies; to what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

The noble-looking woman possessed golden blonde hair that was styled into an elegant array of braids atop her head. A front cowlick slightly curled to the side and framed her cheery face. She wore a petite hat that was tilted forward and toward the left of her head. Despite the overcoat she wore, Lydia saw her outfit was a collection of frilly lace and ribbons. She was tempted to wrinkle her nose at the design but didn't want to offend the woman who'd turned to face her. Lydia was captured by the way her emerald green eyes held such warmth behind them.

"Ah, you must be new," the woman stated with a bright smile. "I'm Elizabeth Midford; this is my maid, Paula."

Paula was a pale-skinned woman with dark brown eyes. Her hair—just as brown as her eyes—was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a brown coat and gloves along with a black hat. She stood just a little shorter than Elizabeth but held the same warmth behind her eyes. She smiled in greeting and curtseyed.

"It has been some time since Master Ciel hired any new servant," she noted.

"I was hired just a few days ago," Lydia explained. "My name is Lydia; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, miladies. May I take your coats?"

"Thank you, Miss Lydia," Elizabeth said as she placed the jacket into Lydia's hands. "Do you know where Ciel is?"

"He is not at home at the moment," Lydia answered as she went to hang the coat. "He—as well as Sebastian—left earlier this morning to pick up a new walking stick. You are welcome to wait in the parlor room. Shall I bring you some tea?"

"No need, Miss Lydia," Elizabeth replied with a dismissive wave of her hand as she looked over the foyer. "Ah, I believe I shall help decorate the place a bit."

"Decorate, milady?"

"Yes, Ciel always keeps the place so boringly glum," Elizabeth noted. "I shall make it much more cheerful in here so that it doesn't feel as if we're in a funeral parlor." She faced Lydia and Paula with an excited smile. "Shall we?"

Lydia could only nod but feared what punishment would await her when the master of the manor returned.

*/*\*

Giselle stared up in awe at the Phantomhive manor as the carriage pulled into the driveway. Its size was grand and the structure was dignified in its historical beauty. The carriage door opened and Ciel ushered her to exit first. With a nod, she took Sebastian's offered hand and stepped out of the carriage. Shielding her eyes, she looked up at the estate and found herself wondering if the place still existed in her time.

"You must be tired, Master," Sebastian noted as they climbed the stairs up to the door. "I'll prepare your tea right away."

Sebastian opened the door and Ciel moved to enter only to stop as he let out a gasp of surprise. Even Giselle was surprised to find the foyer of the manor in such a state. Sebastian looked over them and turned to examine the scene himself.

"What is the matt—"

He was shocked into silence and the three entered the manor. Giselle examined the surroundings to find the entire hall had been decorated with blue garlands held up by pink pins along with extravagant chains hanging from the pink pins. Large pink hearts hung along the banister of the great staircase and pink ribbons hung from the chandelier. The entire place practically sparkled with all of the decorations. Giselle covered her mouth to hide her smile as she wondered what had happened.

"My mansion…" Ciel said in shocked horror.

"What in the world happened?" Sebastian questioned in a similar tone.

"Sebastian!"

Three servants—two men and one woman—emerged from a room to the right and scurried to where Sebastian stood. The man dressed in a chef's coat grabbed Sebastian by the collar while the other two knelt before Sebastian in an act of cowering in fear. Giselle wondered what had happened in order for them to react in such a way.

"What on earth happened?" Sebastian asked. "Or rather…why are you dressed like that?"

It was then Giselle noticed the chef was wearing a maid's headband. The other man wore bunny ears along with large bunny paws. She found the situation peculiar.

"Ask the crazy girl!" the chef countered as he pointed toward the room they'd just exited.

"Crazy girl?" Ciel questioned.

Everyone heard a yelp followed by a groan of pain from the room and went to see what was happening. Giselle immediately recognized the figure of her sister who was dressed in clothes similar to Sebastian's and donned bunny ears. Lydia was trying to tie a ribbon around a brown haired man's neck. They entered the room and Ciel stepped forward to demand what was going on. Lydia and the man—who wore large round glasses—turned to face them.

"M-master Ciel!" the man exclaimed.

Giselle locked eyes with Lydia who immediately released the brown haired man. Her eyes glimmered with oncoming tears as she made her way forward. Giselle went to meet her halfway and the two threw their arms around each other. Lydia's hold was tight indicating how worried she must've been and Giselle felt the similar stinging sensation of tears in her own eyes. She pulled Lydia closer and tightened her arms around the younger woman.

"Thank goodness," she whispered against Lydia's ear. "I'm glad you're safe."

"And I'm glad to see you're all right, Giselle!" Lydia countered.

"Ciel!"

Giselle saw a flash of orange before Lydia pulled away and they turned to see a young woman had wrapped her arms around Ciel in a tight hug.

"Ciel, I missed you!" the woman exclaimed as she continued squeezing the young man.

"Elizabeth…" Ciel called as he stiffened at the contact.

"Aw, you know I'm always telling you to call me 'Lizzy'!" she replied as she pulled back to smile endearingly at him. "Oh, every time I see you…you're just _so_ handsome!"

She pulled Ciel into what Giselle was certain was a bone-crushing embrace especially with how Ciel fisted his hands and stiffened even more.

"Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian called as he approached the two.

Elizabeth released Ciel who stepped away to take a breath and she faced Sebastian.

"Oh, Sebastian; good afternoon," she greeted with a curtsey.

"Yes, my lady," Sebastian replied in agreement.

Elizabeth's face gleamed with excitement and held her hands out to encompass the room which was sparkling with its own decorations.

"Look, the salon is so lovely, isn't it?" she questioned.

Giselle covered her mouth to hide her smile when she saw the look of dismay on Ciel's face.

"The manor should always be decorated like this," Elizabeth noted as her eyes glazed over with appreciation. "Right, Antoinette?"

Elizabeth turned to an elderly man who was sleeping in the nearby armchair. He wore a blonde wig that was styled like the noblewomen's of France.

"Even Tanaka as well?" Sebastian noted.

"I have a gift for you too," Elizabeth announced and wrapped a colorful scarf around Sebastian's head. "You're always dressed in black so I thought this might look good."

The other servants snickered and even Giselle as well as Lydia laughed a little at the ridiculous sight of the Phantomhive butler wearing such an out of place scarf. Sebastian cast the three servants a death glare and—even though it hadn't been aimed at her—Giselle could feel the chilling threat behind those eyes. The servants immediately straightened their posture and stopped snickering.

"I'm deeply honored at your consideration for my humble self," Sebastian commented as he bowed to Elizabeth.

"Don't mention it!" she replied with a cheery smile.

"More importantly, Lizzy, what are you doing here?" Ciel asked. "Where is Aunt Frances?"

Elizabeth faced him and took his hands.

"I snuck away because I wanted to see you, Ciel!" she answered before pulling him into another crushing hug.

"Snuck away?" Ciel questioned. "What were you thinking?"

"Don't worry," she replied. "I brought Paula with me too!"

Giselle turned her attention to the brown haired woman who stood on the other side of the salon. She greeted Giselle with a smile and a curtsey which Giselle returned as well. Giselle turned to Lydia who simply shook her head. She looked over the younger woman's attire once more and wondered if Ciel had taken her in as a servant. She turned her attention to the brown haired man as he asked Sebastian who Elizabeth was.

"She is the daughter of the Marquess of Scotney," Sebastian answered matter-of-factly. "Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford; she is the master's betrothed."

"I see," the brown haired man said before a gasp of surprise escaped his lips.

"Betrothed?!" exclaimed the other three servants.

Even Lydia seemed rather surprised by the information and Giselle wondered what exactly was so surprising.

"Lady Elizabeth is the daughter of a marquess after all," Sebastian continued. "Noblemen must marry noble ladies, obviously."

Giselle couldn't agree more with the man.

"Say, I know!" Elizabeth exclaimed with a happy squeal. "Now that the mansion looks so lovely and all, let's have a ball tonight!"

Ciel's facial features contorted into an expression of horror and Giselle couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. Elizabeth took Ciel by the hands and twirled around with him in tow. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the act but couldn't even pull away from her.

"I'll dance all around with my fiancé as my escort!" she stated happily. "Oh, how lovely!"

"Hey," Ciel countered. "Who gave you leave to—"

"Wear the clothes I picked out for you, okay, Ciel?" Elizabeth requested. "I just know they'll look dashing on you!"

"Listen to me when I'm—"

"And I must dress to the nines as well!"

Giselle couldn't help but smile at Ciel's frustrated expression as his fiancée continued to ignore his protests of having a ball. She was taken by surprise when Elizabeth faced her and Lydia. She grabbed them both by the hands and tugged them toward the exit.

"Come on, I'll make you both even cuter too!" she said with glee. "Paula!"

Giselle felt more than saw the brown haired woman follow after them.

"Listen to me!"

Giselle felt sorry for Ciel when his demand went unheard as Elizabeth dragged the two of them up to the second floor where her bonanza of clothes waited.

Author's Note: As everyone can probably guess, there are some characters who have been featured that do not actually have a purpose until much later in the anime. ^^ It was decided that their appearances would be sporadic throughout the story because it was just too strange to have them suddenly pop up into existence when they supposedly existed all along. Therefore, expect to see these characters occasionally throughout the story. Thanks for reading and hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!


	7. A Ball for Lady Elizabeth

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Seven: A Ball for Lady Elizabeth

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation! On an additional note, it is recommended to go reread the last chapter because it was revised. If not, this chapter might be somewhat confusing. Sorry for any inconvenience!

"Oh, you look absolutely wonderful!"

Lydia watched as Lizzy continued buzzing about Giselle while complimenting her looks. Dressed in a lilac gown with off the shoulder mid-length sleeves, Giselle looked every bit the noble lady. The bottom of the dress puffed out and was decorated with frilly lace that matched the lace which lined the neckline. Paula had helped style Giselle's hair into a half updo with the bottom half parted into three braids and pinned up to make a bun with the upper half. Lizzy gave Giselle a pair of white lacy gloves to wear and stepped back to admire before nodding her head with approval.

"That dress looks lovely on you, Miss Giselle," she complimented with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Lizzy," Giselle replied.

Lydia found herself wondering how on earth such a happy and cheerful woman ended up engaged to an arrogant grouch like Ciel.

"Now, it is your turn!" Lizzy interjected as she faced Lydia.

Lydia felt the blood drain from her face.

"M-me?" she questioned.

With a nod, Lizzy giggled to herself as she went to retrieve a dress from the armoire. She returned and held up a pastel peach dress in front of Lydia. With a smile, she pushed it into Lydia's arms.

"It suits you," she noted. "I like it!"

Lydia looked down at the dress in horror. She didn't even want to hold the thing and attempted to return it to Lizzy. The other woman brushed past Lydia and ushered her to the mirror. She laid her hands on Lydia's shoulders to hold her there.

Not wanting to seem rude, Lydia looked over the dress in the mirror. The sleeves were long with lacy ruffles and the scoop neckline looked conservative. Unlike Giselle's, the bottom of the dress flowed to follow the figure. The bodice of the dress had a lacy layer of fabric while the bottom of the dress was left plain. A large ribbon flopped on the side of the dress.

"See? Isn't it cute?" Lizzy asked. "It definitely matches you; I can't wait to see you wear it!"

The older woman was practically hopping in place which would've made Lydia laugh if she wasn't being forced to wear a dress. She stared at her reflection and found the dress repulsive. It was beautiful, yes—but she was disgusted by the idea of having to wear such bothersome clothing. The urge to reject was strong but she didn't want to hurt Lizzy's feelings. With a sigh, she faced the woman to decline but was startled when Lizzy moved to undo the buttons of her overcoat and was already removing the layer of clothing.

"W-Wait, what're you doing?!" Lydia exclaimed.

She pulled away and reassembled her clothes.

"No need to be shy, Miss Lydia," Lizzy replied with a giggle. "It is only us ladies in here after all."

"I-It's not that!" Lydia countered. "It's just…you want me to wear the dress now?"

Lizzy nodded.

"Of course," she answered. "The ball will be in a few hours."

Lydia looked away and couldn't believe what was happening. Ever since Giselle had convinced her to try reading that one spell their great-grandfather had written into his diary, her life had seemed to take a turn for the worse. She woke up in a place that wasn't familiar to her at all. She saved a man from a goon only to be taken by said man and forced to be his servant simply because she refused to tell him about her ring. At least he had allowed her to remain in pants but that didn't seem to matter now. Lizzy was persistent on her wearing a dress and Lydia had an inkling that Lizzy didn't take "no" very well for an answer.

"Do I have to wear a dress?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course, you do!" Lizzy exclaimed as she clasped her hands together excitedly. "It _is_ a ball; you are silly, Miss Lydia."

Lizzy laughed and Lydia turned to her sister for help. Giselle was clearly enjoying her misfortune when Lydia saw the older woman was trying to hide a smile. She bit her lip as she tried to think of a way to get out of wearing a dress. How on Earth was she going to convince Lizzy? Then, an idea popped into her head and she prayed it would work.

"Actually, Miss Lizzy," she started. "I just remembered that I have some chores to do."

"But the ball…" Lizzy noted with a sad expression.

"I have to finish my chores before anything else, Miss Lizzy," Lydia insisted and placed the dress into Lizzy's hands. "I must go before I am scolded."

"Promise to wear the dress when you return?" Lizzy called after her.

"Yes!" Lydia answered just to keep Lizzy happy and made her escape.

Outside, she let out a sigh of relief and wondered what she had gotten herself into with that promise. Deciding she didn't have to worry about it just yet, she headed off in search of Mey Rin. Hopefully, there really were chores that she would be able to help the other maid do. She passed by Ciel's study and paused when she heard his voice. He sounded angry and she wondered what was going on. She saw the door was ajar and leaned closer to listen.

"I've…forgotten how to smile like I'm having fun…"

Her eyes widened with surprise at the confession. Perhaps, that was why Ciel seemed like he was such a grouch. She wondered what could've possibly happened for the man to forget such an easy gesture of the lips. She thought she heard Sebastian's voice as well but the voices were low whispers now. Straining to hear, she leaned further against the door only to have it open unexpectedly. She lost her balance and stumbled into the room, landing ungracefully with an audible "oof". She groaned as she pushed up onto her knees and rubbed her head where she'd hit the ground.

"Lydia?"

Based on the surprise in his voice, Lydia assumed Ciel hadn't been expecting her. Then again, it wasn't like she was expecting to tumble headfirst into his study either. She straightened to look up at him and met his blue eye. She didn't know if it was because she'd heard his confession but she felt as though his expression held a much deeper emotion that she hadn't noticed before: vulnerability. Then, his look became guarded and the emotion was gone to be replaced by a cold stare.

"Lydia, what are you doing?" Sebastian asked. "Weren't you with Lady Elizabeth?"

"Ah…well…" Lydia struggled to explain.

Sebastian looked her over and rubbed his chin as he crossed his arms.

"Actually, I have something for you to do," he announced.

"And that is…?" she questioned.

"You can help Master with his dance lessons by being his dance partner," he explained.

"W-what?!" she exclaimed. "But I—"

"That should be better for you, right, Master?" Sebastian asked Ciel, ignoring her. "Dancing with a lady should be more beneficial, correct?"

Ciel sighed deeply as he rubbed at his left temple.

"I suppose it will," he said nonchalantly.

"Wait, just hold on!" Lydia exclaimed, emphasizing her words by holding her hands up and out in front of her. "I never agreed to this! We are talking about my body; I get to have a say in this too!"

"You do not have any chores," Sebastian noted. "And you are not yet ready for the ball. You are to assist the Master with his lessons for now."

Lydia sighed in defeat.

"I suppose I have no choice," she countered. "Let's get started then."

She approached Ciel and he was taken aback at her assertiveness. She would've laughed if it had been anyone else but kept a straight face as she took his hand with her right and laid her left atop his shoulder. She waited for him to take his place to begin the lesson. His hand came up to grab her waist and she felt her heart skip a beat at the touch. His touch was somehow hot and she felt as if the heat was burning through her clothes to scorch her flesh. Pushing aside the thought, she kept a professional air and followed along as Sebastian instructed Ciel on how to dance.

By the end of the lesson, Lydia's legs—as well as her toes despite wearing shoes—ached from the onslaught of Ciel accidentally stepping on or kicking her. Several times, she wondered if he deliberately did it but brushed aside the accusation when she would see the quick-flashing apologetic look in his eye whenever he did. They had finally stopped when Sebastian said Ciel's dancing was well enough to uphold the Phantomhive name and they'd immediately released each other.

"I must say I'm impressed, Lydia," Sebastian announced. "Have you learned to dance?"

"I'm taking lessons with my sister," Lydia answered.

"Good," Sebastian noted absently. "You did well; you may return to what you were doing."

Feeling insulted at being dismissed so nonchalantly, Lydia shot a glare at Sebastian who seemed oblivious. She spared a glance at Ciel to see he was looking out the large window behind his desk. With a huff, she departed from the room only to stop when Ciel called out to her. With her hand on the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder back at him.

"Yes?"

He seemed hesitant as if struggling to find words to say.

"You should put ice on your…er…legs," he announced without turning back to look at her. "It would be a shame if you missed the ball later."

Lydia paused to allow her brain to process what she'd heard. Was this arrogant grouch of a man actually expressing worry for her? She fully faced him with an arched eyebrow. She looked at Sebastian whose expression was blank and still as a stone. She returned her attention to Ciel.

"Are you—"

"Lizzy would be upset if you did not make it," Ciel added in finality. "And you _are_ needed to help clean after the ball."

Just when she'd thought he was actually being nice…

"You need not worry, Lord Phantomhive," she stated defiantly. "I'm a tough girl."

With an exasperated sigh, she departed from the room and pulled the door shut behind her. She headed back to where Lizzy was most likely waiting for her return so she could wear the dress like she'd promised. She winced at the sore achiness in her legs but ignored the pain. She frowned when she thought back on Ciel's words again and couldn't believe he almost had her fooled.

_You __**are**__ needed to help clean after the ball…_

"Jerk…" she grumbled.

*/*\*

"Do not worry, Miss Lizzy," Giselle noted as the woman stared after Lydia. "She has always been that way since I can remember."

Lizzy faced her with a surprised expression.

"You knew Miss Lydia, Miss Giselle?"

"Of course," Giselle replied with a light chuckle. "Lydia and I are sisters."

"You are?" Lizzy questioned. "Oh, I do apologize for not noticing!"

"It is fine," Giselle answered. "Some do not find it obvious since we are only half."

"I see," Lizzy noted. "Now...did Ciel hire the both of you only recently?"

"Hire?" Giselle questioned. "Actually, Lydia and I were separated on our way to London. Lord Phantomhive must have hired Lydia during that time."

"I am glad the two of you are together again, Miss Giselle," Lizzy announced.

"Thank you," Giselle replied. "I was worried for her but I am happy to see she found a place to stay."

Lizzy nodded with a smile.

"Where are you from?"

Giselle paused, wondering what she could tell Lizzy. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure if the Hastings were around. Even if they were, she knew they would know nothing about her and her sister. _Perhaps, it would be better to fib._

"Um...we have come a long way to get to London," she explained.

"I see," Lizzy replied. "What about your parents?"

_Mother and Father didn't exist either..._

"Our parents...died when we were young," Giselle stated. "Lydia and I were taken to an orphanage because we had no other close of kin."

_God forbid that ever from happening._

"My condolences..." Lizzy noted apologetically.

"It is all right," Giselle replied. "Lydia was too young to remember and I have come to terms with the loss."

Lizzy took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It is tragic when children lose their parents too early in life," she stated and her expression became distant. "Ciel also lost his parents at an early age."

"He did?" Giselle questioned with surprise. "How unfortunate."

"They died in a fire several years ago," Lizzy explained as her eyes became teary. "Ciel disappeared for a month. Everyone thought he died in the fire as well." Lizzy took a breath to steady herself and took the handkerchief Paula held out to her. "I was ecstatic when I first heard he had returned."

She sighed and her smile was filled with such sadness that Giselle felt her own heart breaking.

"I do not know what happened to him during that one month," Lizzy continued. "Since then, he has not been the same. I feel as if the Ciel I remember is no longer here and the Ciel I see now is someone else. He used to smile and laugh all the time but not anymore."

She dabbed at her tears and sniffled.

"I try all I can to make his life brighter than it has been for him," she added. "Just a smile is enough because I know the Ciel I remember is still there somewhere. I hope someday he will smile and laugh freely like before."

Giselle reached forward to lay a comforting hand upon the woman's shoulder.

"I am sure he will, Miss Lizzy," she stated with a smile. "With you by his side, I am certain you will fill his life with the love and light he needs."

"Thank you, Miss Giselle," Lizzy replied with a teary smile.

Giselle nodded.

"Now, you should get ready as well," she announced. "After all, this ball is in honor of you, Miss Lizzy."

"Yes," Lizzy stated and—with an excited giggle—turned to Paula. "Paula, please retrieve my gown."

"Yes, Miss Lizzy," the maid replied before disappearing into the dressing room.

*/*\*

"I can't believe I'm wearing a dress," Lydia grumbled as she stared at herself in the mirror.

"Neither can I," Giselle noted as she stood next to the mirror to look at Lydia. "Mother would be happy."

Lydia snorted as she turned her body this way and that to examine how well the dress fit. She had to admit the dress was pretty and—though she preferred it didn't—accentuated her curves. Her legs felt naked and she would've worn her pants but Lizzy hadn't allowed her to do so. Lydia had only agreed not to because she didn't want Lizzy to make a fuss and discover the already-forming bruises she'd gotten from the dance lesson with Ciel. With a sigh, she stopped swaying to look full frontal at her reflection.

"I hope it doesn't last too long," she announced begrudgingly.

"No more than a few hours, I'm sure," Giselle replied. "How are your legs?"

Lydia turned her attention to the older woman.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"The bruises on your legs," Giselle answered.

"Oh…I'm fine," Lydia replied. "It's just…cleaning the stairs can be rough."

Giselle's expression indicated she didn't believe her but the older woman dropped the subject.

"We'd best head down before Miss Lizzy starts wondering what happened to us," Giselle noted.

Lydia nodded and took one final glance at her reflection before she followed after her sister. Approaching the top of the stairs, they looked down and Lydia frowned when she caught sight of Grell wearing what could be considered as a wedding dress. The white gown was atrocious—in Lydia's opinion—with how it was covered in bows. He even had a white ribbon that tied his hair back into a bow and it had flowers adorning the side by his temple. As they descended, Lydia heard the butler's complaints about the outfit as he stared at his reflection with a horrified expression.

"Th-This is…such a humiliating outfit."

Bard laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," he said. "Just give up on this one."

"This girlish, infantile white color," Grell whined. "I'd rather it were a passionate red so I could look sexy and decadent!"

"That's your problem?!" Bard exclaimed as he eyed the butler as though the man had lost his mind.

Grell grabbed his skirts and rushed toward the nearest window.

"If my only other choice is to live in shame, I'd rather…I'd rather die!"

He opened the window and moved to jump to his death. Lydia held Giselle back when the other woman attempted to stop him. Giselle gave her a questioned look and she shook her head.

"He's just doing it for attention," Lydia answered and ushered Giselle toward where Lizzy stood with Paula and Mey Rin.

"I am sure blue will look good on Ciel," Lizzy announced as she looked over her reflection. "I fell in love with the clothes I bought while I was shopping in London." She faced Mey Rin with a smile. "All right, it is your turn next. I shall make you beautiful!"

Mey Rin screeched with horror when Lizzy reached for her glasses. She backed away at such a speed that Lydia feared she'd trip and fall. Fortunately, she didn't.

"I'm really farsighted!" Mey Rin exclaimed nervously. "I can't see anything with these, no!"

Lizzy followed after her with a smile.

"You must not look at the dream world with your eyes," she noted. "Feel it with your heart!"

"M-my heart?!" Mey Rin exclaimed.

The maid cried out once again when Lizzy made a grab for her glasses.

"Let her be."

Everyone's attention shifted toward the top of the staircase and Lydia felt her breath stop short. Dressed in a blue suit with a matching overcoat, Ciel looked every bit the handsome nobleman. His overcoat was held together in the front by a chain and a hat that matched the outfit in color was placed atop his head. As Lizzy had stated, Lydia agreed that blue looked good on Ciel. Realizing she was staring and what she was thinking, Lydia shook her head and huffed impatiently while ignoring the look Giselle sent her way.

Lizzy let out a squeal of joy as she ran to meet Ciel at the bottom of the steps.

"Ciel, you really are dashing!" she exclaimed and pulled him into a hug before twirling him in tow which made his hat fly off into a random direction. "I judged correctly!"

She continued twirling him in tow which had Lydia wondering if either of them were dizzy when Lizzy stopped and pulled up Ciel's hand.

"Ciel, where is the ring I bought you?" Lizzy demanded in a voice that shocked Lydia.

Who knew the cheery fiancée could speak in such a tone?

"There was a lovely one to match your clothes!"

Ciel pulled away with a sigh.

"This one is fine," he noted dismissively.

Lydia was taken by surprise yet again when Lizzy suddenly burst into tears. She sunk to the floor as she covered her face and rambled on about how Ciel was too cruel in not doing as she wished. The woman continued into what could only be considered a tantrum as she fussed some more. Lydia cast a side glance at Giselle who looked equally surprised.

"That's not it," Ciel stated over Lizzy's cries. "This ring is—"

Again, Lydia was surprised when Lizzy stopped crying only to lunge toward Ciel like a monkey.

"Just kidding!" Lizzy exclaimed and swiftly removed Ciel's ring from his finger. "Got it!"

"Lizzy," Ciel stated with surprise.

Lizzy laughed as she examined the ring closer while mentioning how it didn't suit Ciel at all. Lydia noticed the shift in Ciel's demeanor and feared for the woman's wellbeing. Despite being his fiancé, she was obviously pushing her luck.

"Give it back!"

Lizzy was shocked by Ciel's harsh voice and stopped to look at him. He glared at her as he held his hand out to her.

"Give that back, Elizabeth," he commanded.

"Why are you so angry?" Lizzy questioned as she became flustered. "I went to such trouble and…" She paused when Ciel's expression became darker. "What? All I did was try to make everything perfect! So, why are you so angry?!" Her eyes welled up with tears. "I hate this stupid ring!"

Lydia gasped when Lizzy threw the ring back at Ciel. The ring whizzed past him and hit the stairs, cracking in two places. He faced Lizzy with a look of pure contempt and stalked toward her with his hand raised. Lydia hurried forward and was vaguely aware that Giselle did the same. Lizzy cowered back in fear but it was Sebastian who halted Ciel's intentions by grabbing the young man's wrist.

"Master…" he stated nonchalantly and placed the walking stick into Ciel's hand. "You forgot the new walking stick we had made."

Lydia sighed with relief and looked at Giselle to see the older woman was just as relieved. She turned her attention to see Ciel breathing hard and realized how angry he had been. The look of contempt was gone and he appeared surprised almost as if he couldn't believe what he was going to do. Lydia looked back at the broken ring on the stairs only to pause when she realized it was _her_ ring.

"That ring was very important to the Master," Sebastian announced as he bowed to Lizzy. "The heads of the Phantomhive family passed it down for generations."

"I…I destroyed such a precious ring?" Lizzy questioned.

Lydia frowned when she heard Sebastian's words. _Passed down for generations?_ She looked to Giselle who returned a knowing look. Suddenly, Lydia was reminded of the two lines of poetry she and Giselle had read before passing out. Apparently, it wasn't poetry at all. She swallowed as she felt the blood drain from her face. If they really had traveled back in time, how were they going to return home? Especially when they were at the mercy of an _Evil Nobleman?_

*/*\*

"Giselle?"

Lydia and Giselle stood off to the side as they watched the servants enjoy themselves dancing freely. Lizzy was laughing gleefully while she and Ciel danced. Sebastian was nowhere in sight but he wasn't on Lydia's mind right now. The older woman turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"H-how…" Lydia paused as she struggled with her thoughts. "How are we going to get home?"

She looked at Giselle to see the older woman wasn't going to play dumb about what Lydia meant. Her expression became thoughtful before she shook her head.

"I'm not sure, Lydia," she answered. "But we'll find a way…"

"The ring that I bought…" Lydia announced. "Ciel took it away from me because he thought I stole it." She stared at the couple who twirled along the dance floor. "He must've been so confused when he saw it because it was supposed to be one-of-a-kind."

"What did he do with it?" Giselle asked.

"He has it locked away in one of his desk drawers," Lydia answered. "I don't think he's going to give it back anytime soon." She sighed. "Who knows…he might keep it and say it rightfully belongs to him. After all, he _is_ the heir of the Phantomhives and his actual ring he threw out the window."

"We have to find a way to get it back," Giselle noted more to herself than Lydia. "It might be a way in getting back home."

"You think so?"

"It's worth a try."

Their conversation was interrupted by Grell who swayed into their vicinity to offer a glass of wine. Lydia refused while Giselle took one out of courtesy. Grell laughed gleefully before he turned away only to accidently bump into the dancing couple. Lizzy squeaked in horror as Grell spilled wine over the bottom of her dress. Grell immediately began apologizing and even offered his life as atonement. Ciel cast an annoyed glance Grell's way before sighing.

"No need for that, Grell," Sebastian noted as he arrived with a towel for Lizzy. "Are you all right, Lady Elizabeth?"

"Fine, thank you, Sebastian," Lizzy replied as she wiped at her dress. "Oh, dear…what will I do now?"

Giselle moved forward and placed her hands on Lizzy's shoulders.

"Come, Miss Lizzy," she ushered gently. "If we hurry to the washroom, we may be able to save your dress."

"Paula," Lizzy called as she followed Giselle.

Lydia watched as the three departed from the foyer and sighed. Grell continued apologizing only to be led away by Tanaka. She watched as the other servants continued dancing along the floor and smiled to herself. It was probably rare that they had the free time to enjoy a ball to themselves. She glanced at the clock to see it was getting pretty late already and wondered if it would be okay to retire. Her legs were starting to hurt now.

With a sigh, she figured Lizzy would probably be upset if she retired early. She decided sitting down wouldn't hurt and turned to go sit only to bump into a hard form with an audible "oof". She stepped back to see the Lord Phantomhive standing before her. His eye locked with hers and she felt her pulse suddenly going into overdrive. She noticed how he stood awfully close and swallowed to calm her nerves.

"Y-yes?" she questioned.

With an uneasy look in his eyes, Ciel appeared hesitant before he held out his hand.

"Will you…um…do me the honor?" he asked.

His voice was barely above a whisper. If she hadn't been listening at full attention and he wasn't standing so close, she wouldn't have heard. Then, his words clicked into her mind and she stared at him. She blinked, unsure if she'd heard him right.

"W-what?"

His look became guarded once more as he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Will you do me the honor of this dance?" he asked, his voice gruff with impatience.

Lydia continued staring, her mind at a loss. Why on earth did he want to dance with _her?_ She stole a glance around the room to realize the only other female present besides herself was Mey Rin. She figured Ciel didn't want to trouble himself with the maid especially when she was already occupied with Bard. Biting her lips, she hesitated momentarily before placing her hand in his.

"O-okay."

With a sigh, Ciel tightened his hold on her hand and led her to the dance floor. Unlike the last time they danced, his hands claimed their place easily and he pulled her close. A surprised gasp escaped from her lips and she swore she saw a smirk dance over his lips but it disappeared before she could confirm its presence. She caught the impatient look he was giving her and realized he was still waiting for her to respond. Her hands found their place and she allowed Ciel to lead them into the sway of the dance.

She was actually impressed that he had learned the basics quickly. Even now, he was looking at her with a confidence she hadn't seen during their lesson. She felt a strange sensation in her chest with the way he was looking at her and averted her eyes to his chest. They continued dancing for longer than Lydia expected. Eventually, the ache in her legs became throbbing and she found herself struggling to keep up with Ciel.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice. "You're not even trying anymore."

"I _am_ trying," she countered between her winces. "It's just—"

A misstep led to a flash of pain surging through her leg and she stumbled. She felt Ciel's hold tighten around her waist and she was pulled even closer against him. Her face was scrunched into his neck and the starch on his shirt tickled her nose. His breathing teased her ear and sent shivers down her spine to places she couldn't identify. Pulling back, she looked up at him and felt her cheeks flare up with embarrassment.

"W-what are you doing?" she questioned in a whispery voice.

"You were going to fall," he answered and she noticed how considerably low his voice had gotten.

"Um…Master Ciel?"

Breaking from Ciel's gaze, Lydia looked to see Finny standing there with a hesitant expression. She pulled away from Ciel and he allowed her space but kept his arm around her waist. She smiled at Finny who looked as if he wanted to ask a very important question.

"What is it, Finny?" Ciel asked, his voice clearer now.

"Um…w-would it possible if…uh…could I possibly…erm…"

"What is it, Finny?" Ciel reiterated, his tone exasperated.

"Ah, well…I was wondering if I could dance with Miss Lydia?"

Lydia smiled at how adorably cute this man was being.

"Of course, you can, Finny," she answered.

She looked back at Ciel who looked as if he wanted to say something. She saw an unidentifiable look in his eye and wondered what he was pondering. He looked between her and Finny before shaking his head.

"What are you asking me for?" he countered.

He pulled away from her and turned to leave. Lydia wondered if he was irritated and wondered why he would be. Then again, the man always seemed to be in a foul mood. She curtseyed and plastered on a smile.

"Thank you for the dance," she bid.

Ciel paused to look back at her and—once again—his gaze became thoughtful. Then, he nodded and departed from the dance floor. Lydia turned her attention to Finny who still looked hesitant. With a smile of encouragement, she held her hand out to him. He took it gently and smiled bashfully before pulling her close. She managed only one round of dancing before the pain in her legs became impossible to ignore. She winced when Finny twirled her around and was surprised when he pulled away.

"Did I hurt you, Miss Lydia?" he asked. "I'm sorry!"

She managed a choked laugh before shaking her head.

"No, Finny, I'm fine," she answered. "It's just…I hurt myself earlier."

"Are you all right?"

His voice was dripping with concern and she smiled once again to reassure him.

"It's nothing, Finny," she insisted. "Don't worry about me; I'll be fine. I just _really_ need to sit right now."

"All right," he replied. "If you say so."

Finny helped her to the nearest chair and she sighed in relief. She smiled once more to reassure Finny who still looked worried. She ushered him to continue enjoying the ball and that she just needed some time off the dance floor. Finny only agreed to leave her after making her promise to seek any of the other servants' help should she need it. She finally allowed herself to slouch against the chair and sighed.

She saw Giselle was back along with Paula and Lizzy. Lizzy's dress looked as if it hadn't even met with an accident and Lydia smiled. She didn't want Lizzy to feel as if her night had been ruined and was glad Giselle had been able to help the woman. She smiled to herself when Lizzy bombarded the other servants and finally convinced Finny to dance with her. She saw Giselle was headed toward her only to be stopped by Sebastian who evidently swept the woman away into a dance. Seeing her sister with the butler, she felt a sense of worry and hoped Giselle would be able to hold her own against the man. She lifted her legs to test them only to wince again as they cramped under the pain.

"Did you put ice on them like I told you to?"

Lydia looked over her shoulder to see Ciel standing a few feet away. She thought back and remembered how he'd told her to ice her legs. Why did he care anyway? Then, she remembered. Of course, who else would be cleaning up after the ball? With a frown, she looked away and sighed as a sudden rush of anger flashed through her system.

"Of course not," she stated matter-of-factly. "After your dance lesson, I had to help finish preparing for the ball."

"You weren't able to find the time at all?"

He sounded like he didn't believe her which only succeeded in making her angrier.

"You don't have to worry, _my lord_," she snapped. "I'll be fine to clean up." She shot to her feet and nearly stumbled but kept her balance. "If you'll excuse me, then…I wish to start cleaning now."

Ciel didn't stop her and she was glad.

*/*\*

The ball ended late into the night. Lizzy was exhausted due to dancing so much although Giselle was certain the woman had thoroughly enjoyed herself. At Ciel's request, Sebastian had called a carriage for her and Paula helped the young woman into the carriage. The brown haired butler—Grell, if she remembered correctly—offered to escort the ladies home and drove off into the night exclaiming about how he would always remember that night.

"Good grief, what a rotten day," Ciel announced as he headed back into the mansion.

"You seemed to be quite enjoying yourself," Sebastian noted matter-of-factly.

"Do not be a fool," the young lord countered as he headed toward the stairwell only to stop and look back. "Miss Giselle, I expect to see you in my study after you have settled in for the night."

Giselle was almost offended but brushed off his authoritative tone and curtseyed.

"Yes, Lord Phantomhive."

"Sebastian, escort her to my study when she is ready."

Giselle looked at the butler who stepped up beside her but didn't look at her.

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel nodded with approval before he continued his way up the stairwell. Sebastian looked at Giselle with an expression that she couldn't read. She attempted to decipher it but was distracted when Lydia tugged her by the arm.

"Why does he want to see you?" she questioned.

Giselle looked to see Sebastian had followed after his master before giving Lydia her full attention.

"How am I supposed to know?" she replied with a shrug. "Perhaps, he has some questions to ask. He did see this."

She pulled her pendant out from beneath her bodice and Lydia's lips thinned with concern.

"Is that why they brought you back here?" Lydia asked.

Giselle nodded and tucked the pendant away. She licked her lips nervously as she watched the other servants depart to start on their chores. She looked back at Lydia who appeared to be deep in thought. She noted how Lydia had departed from the foyer earlier after a small conversation with Ciel. She wondered what the man had said to upset her so. Then again, it really didn't take much to upset Lydia.

"Where are you going to sleep, Giselle?" Lydia asked which had Giselle pausing in thought.

"With you, I suppose," she answered.

Lydia sighed.

"Let's get out of these, then," she said.

Giselle followed Lydia back to the room Lizzy had taken them. Lydia lifted the outfit she'd borrowed and raised an eyebrow in question. Giselle realized the both of them probably had quite the tale to tell each other and she wondered how long they had been separated from each other. She shrugged and took the dress from Lydia's hold. As they hurriedly dressed, Giselle couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw Lydia slipping into a pair of black trouser pants. Then, Lydia winced and Giselle saw the bruises on her sister's legs.

"They've gotten worse," she noted. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"They're fine," Lydia replied. "Just sore, that's all."

"You should put ice on them," Giselle suggested. "How did you get them again?"

"I _will_," Lydia countered with a huff. "I just haven't had the time."

Giselle took notice of how Lydia avoided her question but realized she was probably pushing her luck and decided to change the subject.

"How were you able to convince them to let you wear pants?"

Lydia's only response was a cheeky grin which resulted in Giselle rolling her eyes despite the smile that remained on her face. Once they finished changing, they returned the gowns to their rightful hanging places before they made their way to Lydia's room. It was plain and bare except for a bed in one corner with a desk and chair in the other. She watched as Lydia slipped onto the bed with a groan of relief. She smiled and went to join her sister only to pause when they heard a knock at the door.

"What?" Lydia called, her voice dripping with irritation.

"I have come to retrieve Miss Giselle," Sebastian announced matter-of-factly through the door.

Lydia sat up in bed and sent Giselle a worried look. Giselle smiled and shook her head before she answered the door. Sebastian stepped back to allow her to exit from the room. He looked over her shoulder into the room at—she presumed—Lydia. She thought she saw a flicker of a smile before he reached past her to close the door. Then, they were on their way to the master's study.

*/*\*

Lydia remained in bed after Giselle left with Sebastian before remembering she had to help the others clean. With a sigh, she sat up and pulled up her pant legs to examine her bruises. The color was darkening but they didn't seem too bad. Pushing the pant legs back down, she slowly got to her feet and limped her way to her door. She was surprised when she opened the door to find Sebastian standing on the other side with a fist in position to knock.

"Yes?" she questioned.

The butler looked her over once.

"What?" she asked.

Sebastian's lips curved into a smirk that made Lydia feel like she was prey being stalked by a predator.

"I assumed you would be in a state of dishevelment but I was wrong," he confessed.

The lewd tone in his voice sent her cheeks flushing with both embarrassment and anger.

"You pervert!" she exclaimed. "Only in another world will you ever get to see me that way!"

"Ah, but I _do_ believe I had the honor of seeing a preview the other night," he countered.

Lydia opened her mouth to speak but couldn't say anything when she realized he spoke the truth. She glared at him as best she could but his smirk never disappeared and she could see how thoroughly amused he was by the glint in his eyes. She huffed and—with a turn—limped back to her bed. She winced as she sat down and lifted her legs back onto the bed to rub them.

"So, what _did_ you want?" she interrogated but didn't look up to meet the butler's eyes, "If it's about clean up, I'll be there soon." She winced again. "Slowly but surely…"

"It appears Master was right," Sebastian noted as he entered the room. "I have brought you some ice seeing that you are incapable of getting it yourself."

He held out manual ice packets—towels tied around a bunch of ice—and Lydia took them.

"Th-thanks…" she murmured hesitantly.

He nodded and turned to leave only to stop and turn back.

"Oh, yes; Master has dismissed you of your chores," he announced. "The others can handle the cleanup themselves. You may rest for the night."

With that, Sebastian departed from her room shutting the door behind him. Lydia was left to the mercy of her own mind. Why had Ciel decided to let her rest for the night? She let out a deep sigh as she looked at the floor. She wondered if—perhaps—the young man was actually worried about her. She remembered back to how Ciel had pulled her too close to him when she stumbled while they were dancing. The memory of his starched shirt rubbing against her cheek and his breathing against her ear sent unknown sensations squirming through her figure again.

"That's crazy!" she exclaimed in an attempt to squash the alien sensation. "Why would the _Lord Phantomhive_ himself worry about someone like me?"

No matter how hard she tried to convince her mind, though, another part of herself—a part she thought she'd hidden away—kept telling her different. With a shake of her head whether it was to deny that hidden part of herself or to clear her mind, she lifted her pant legs and placed the ice atop the bruised flesh. With a relieved "ahh", she laid back and cleared her mind of everything but the sensation of the special treatment her legs were getting.

Author's Note: Well, that chapter was certainly long! We know it doesn't make up for the long period of no updates from us but we hope it can be a start. ^^ We hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading! Until the next chapter! =)

P.S. – We would like to extend a very big "_**THANK YOU**_" to _ZephyreNotes_ for your honest critique on last chapter. After reading your review, we decided to rewrite it. We are happy to say we like the rewrite more and hope that you do too. Please keep supporting us with your honest critiques and, once again, _**THANK YOU!**_


	8. Questions and Answers

The Strings of Fate

Chapter Eight: Questions and Answers

By The YangSistaz

Disclaimer: _Kuroshitsuji_ aka _Black Butler_ belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of _The Strings of Fate_ with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of _The Strings of Fate_ is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

Giselle lost count of how many corridors she and Sebastian passed through on the way to Ciel's study. She wondered exactly how many rooms the manor had and how the servants managed to keep the place spotless. Her eyes fell to the back of the black haired butler two feet in front of her and remembered. Her great grandfather had mentioned that this man had been multi-talented. Was he the reason behind such a well-kept manor?

"The Phantomhive Manor is a beautiful property," she announced. "It is amazing how such little staff can keep such a large place presentable."

Sebastian turned back to look at her and smiled humbly.

"A Phantomhive butler who couldn't do that much wouldn't be worth his salt, Miss Giselle," he replied before continuing onward.

She followed in silence, wondering what he could've possibly meant by those words. Eventually, they arrived at the study but didn't enter until Sebastian knocked to announce their arrival and Ciel bid them entrance. Sebastian smiled at her as he held the door open and she slipped inside. The study was a large room with a ceiling-to-floor window behind the large desk at which Ciel sat now. He looked up and gestured for Giselle to sit in the chair opposite the desk which she complied.

"I believe you can answer some questions I have for you, Miss Giselle," he announced. "Once I have my answers, you may retire for the night."

"I shall try my best to answer them, milord," she replied.

"Good," Ciel approved. "Now, as you mentioned before, your sister bought a ring." He reached into one of his drawers and placed the silver ornate trinket on his desk. "Where and from whom did she buy it?"

"We went shopping at a flea market," Giselle answered. "There was an old woman selling antiques and we decided to see what she had. Lydia liked the ring and _I_ actually bought it for her. It was a belated birthday present."

"Flea market?" Ciel questioned. "What is a flea market?"

"Ah, it is a gathering of vendors who wish to sell or barter things," she explained, remembering that nobility would probably never be found shopping at a flea market.

"I see," Ciel replied. "Where was this…flea market?"

"In London."

"You and your sister were separated when we met," Ciel noted. "What happened?"

Giselle thought of what to tell the young man and decided to stick with the story she had told Lizzy earlier.

"We were separated on our way to..."

She trailed off when she realized her mistake.

"To?"

Giselle licked her lips.

"We were separated...shortly after departing from the flea market," she said, hoping the two men didn't catch her lie. "I...stopped to look at something in the local window. Lydia was gone when I turned back and I couldn't find her at all."

"Is that so?"

Giselle nodded and unconsciously licked her lips before taking a breath in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Your sister has been in my employ for the past few days," Ciel announced. "What have you done since separating from her?"

"I have been searching for her all across London, of course," Giselle said without meaning to be rude. "What else would I have been doing?"

Ciel nodded and remained silent which only sent Giselle's nerves into hyper drive.

"As you know, Miss Giselle, the ring you bought your sister has a striking resemblance to mine," Ciel announced after some time.

"Yes?"

Giselle watched as Ciel removed his ring to show her and she stared at it. She knew already, of course. After all, the ring she had bought Lydia and the ring the Earl held now were of the same. She just didn't know how she could possibly explain to him. He would most likely find it completely absurd that they had time traveled from the future. Then, she and Lydia would probably be institutionalized or—_worse_—condemned to death.

"Miss Giselle," Ciel called.

She heard the irritation in his voice and realized he had been talking to her.

"Y-yes?" she answered as she looked up at him.

"I asked if you would be able to recognize the vendor if you saw her again," he repeated.

"Oh, I apologize," she said. "Um…I do not think so. Her face was covered because she wore a headscarf."

Ciel sighed as he rubbed at his temples.

"I suppose that cannot be helped," he commented.

"I'm sorry," Giselle answered.

"Never mind that," he replied. "Now, who are you and where are you from?"

Giselle wondered how she would explain to Ciel but—in the end—decided to keep to the story she'd given Lizzy earlier.

"Lydia and I are orphans," she explained. "Our parents died when we were young and we were taken to an orphanage because there was no other close of kin. We…decided to come to London…to start a new life."

"Where was that orphanage?"

"It's, uh…a small village...located a ways north of here."

Ciel stared at her and she resisted the urge to bite her bottom lip. It was a display of weakness she wouldn't allow herself to show. His expression was blank and she couldn't fathom what he was thinking. From her right, she felt Sebastian's stare on her as well. Did they believe anything she was telling them?

"Do you remember the name?"

"P-pardon?"

She saw a flicker of impatience in the Earl's eye and feared his goodwill was running thin.

"The name of the village, Miss Giselle," he stated, frustration dripping from his words.

"I-I do not remember, sorry," she answered.

She looked down at her hands because she couldn't bring herself to look at him anymore. She heard the evident sigh of barely contained frustration. Licking her lips, she lifted her head to speak again only to pause when she saw Sebastian had moved to Ciel's side and was whispering into his ear. Ciel nodded once Sebastian pulled back to stand beside the chair and the both of them turned their attention to her. She felt miniscule beneath their stare and wondered why they had to do that.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Giselle," Ciel announced. "If I have any more questions, I will not hesitate to ask you again."

"Um…it has been my pleasure to help, milord," she replied.

"Sebastian, you may take Miss Giselle to one of our guest rooms."

"Yes, my l—"

"That won't be necessary," Giselle interrupted as she stood. "I would like to stay in the same room as my sister, please."

Ciel turned a look of suspicion upon her but she kept her ground.

"Very well," he replied.

"Thank you, milord," she stated and curtseyed.

"Sebastian, return her to her sister's room," Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my lord."

Giselle watched as Sebastian bowed in servitude with his right hand over his heart. Once he straightened, she followed him out of Ciel's study and they continued back to Lydia's room. She prepared herself for additional interrogation from Sebastian along the way. He never spoke until they arrived back at Lydia's room and it was only to wish her a good night. He graced her with a side smirk that sent her nerves palpitating but she maintained her composure as she gave him a curt nod in response. She retreated into Lydia's room and closed the door, hoping it didn't seem as if she'd been in a hurry.

"You're back," Lydia announced when she turned to face the younger woman. "What did he ask you? What did you tell them?"

Giselle sighed as she brushed past her sister to sit on the bed. Rubbing at her temples, she suddenly felt an incoming migraine. She looked up at her sister to see the woman's worried look. With a smile to reassure Lydia, Giselle patted the area beside her for Lydia to sit down. The younger woman was hesitant but moved to sit and only when she was sitting beside Giselle did the older woman relay all she'd told the Earl Phantomhive.

"Giselle…you said he was wearing his ring?" Lydia asked once they had settled into bed.

"Yes, he took your ring out from a drawer," Giselle explained. "Then, he removed his ring to show it to me. Why do you—"

Giselle paused and faced Lydia who had the same expression of understanding.

"You remember, don't you?" Lydia asked. "He threw his ring out the window."

"Yes," Giselle agreed in realization. "He did. How is it that he is still wearing it, then?"

No matter how hard they tried to find an explanation, though, they could only wonder.

*/*\*

Giselle woke the next morning to find herself alone. Sitting up, she wondered where Lydia had gone only to realize that—as a servant of the house—her sister was probably already setting off to her daily chores. As she dressed, she wondered why Lydia hadn't woken her up. She paused when she heard knocking on the door and wondered who it was.

"Miss Giselle…" came Sebastian's voice.

The velvety smoothness of his voice sent a heated shiver slicing through her and she wondered what it was about him that made her feel so on edge. With a sigh, she answered the door and looked up at him. He stood in place like the proper butler of a noble family but the way he looked at her sent her instincts screaming. Regardless, she kept the nerves at bay and opened the door wider to allow him entrance.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence at such an hour, Mr. Sebastian?" she questioned.

Sebastian faced her with a smile and she thought she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"The Master wishes to speak to you, Miss Giselle," he answered.

"Again?" Giselle paused in thought, fearing they might've discovered her lies already. "Um…do you, perhaps…know why?"

"My apologies, Miss Giselle," he replied. "I do not know."

Giselle nibbled at her lower lip as she gripped at her apron. She had hoped her story would last at least a few days if not a week. She figured they had probably discovered the truth already—though she wondered how they'd done so at such a rate. With a sigh, she nodded and returned her attention to Sebastian who was waiting for her response.

"I suppose it cannot be helped," she noted. "Please take me to his lordship, then, Mr. Sebastian."

"Yes, my lady," he replied.

She followed after him and closed the door after herself. When she faced forward again, she was startled to find Sebastian standing so closely. She looked up at him and wondered what was going through his mind at the moment. For what seemed like an eternity, he just stared at her while she stared back. She wanted to break their gaze but felt it would be a sign of weakness if she did. Eventually, his lips curved into a smile that made her feel uneasy. It reminded her of a predator who was toying with his prey.

"Mr. Sebastian?" she questioned.

"This way, my lady," he said before heading off only to pause to look back at her. "And—please—call me Sebastian."

Giselle swallowed the lump that had developed in her throat and followed after him. Much like the night before, their walk to Ciel's study was silent. When they arrived, Sebastian waited for Ciel's response before allowing Giselle to enter, closing the door after her. Again, Giselle found herself seated across the desk from Ciel. His expression was unreadable but she could feel the tension coming from him. It was answer enough for her that they knew her lies were just that.

"Miss Giselle," Ciel said and locked eyes with her. "You have one chance and _only_ one chance to answer this question. I hope you will think carefully before you answer."

"Y-yes, milord," she replied.

"Now…" Ciel started as he laid his chin atop his clasped hands. "Who are you?"

Giselle stared at him as her blood ran cold. What on Earth could she possibly tell him without sounding like a mad woman?

*/*\*

"Bloody hell, it's done for."

Lydia's attention perked to Bard's voice as she rounded one corner to find the other servants looking beneath the flooring of the mansion.

"Rats again?" Mey Rin asked.

Bard straightened with a sigh.

"I heard they were plaguin' London," he noted as he scratched at his head. "But I sure didn't expect them this far out of the city."

Lydia noticed how one rat managed to skitter across the hall as she approached. She saw Finny grab the nearest object—a statue of some Greek god—and gasped as he threw it in an attempt to stop the rat. The commotion created a storm of dust and flying boards. Lydia coughed as she made her way through to see if the others were all right. She found Bard and Mey Rin pressed against their respective sides of the hall while Finny kneeled in the middle with a sheepish look.

"H-he got away," he stated with a sheepish laugh.

"What are you laughing for?!" Bard exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill _us_ too, you idiot?!"

Mey Rin sighed while Tanaka chuckled with amusement. Lydia shook her head and wondered how they were going to clean up the mess.

"Oh, there's another one!" Finny exclaimed.

Everyone turned to see—indeed—another rat skittering down the hallway. Bard stood and took off after it.

"Don't let it get away!" he snapped.

Lydia watched as the others all followed after Bard as if they were part of some witch hunt. She laughed at their enthusiasm and shook her head. She went to retrieve a broom to help clean the mess only to stop when she saw Sebastian and Giselle headed off in another direction. Curious as to why they were together, she followed after them. She kept back in hopes they wouldn't know she was following and—after several turns—realized they were headed to Ciel's study. She frowned, wondering why Ciel wanted to see Giselle again and hoped they hadn't discovered Giselle's story to be a lie already. She headed around another corner and bumped right into Sebastian's chest with an audible "oof".

"Lydia," Sebastian said. "What are you doing?"

Lydia looked over his shoulder to see Giselle wasn't there.

"Where's Giselle?" she demanded.

"She is currently speaking with the Master," Sebastian answered matter-of-factly. "Now, return to your chores, Lydia."

"What else does he want with her?" she asked. "Hasn't she answered his questions already?"

"Lydia," Sebastian noted in a warning tone.

Ignoring him, she pushed past him and headed to the study. She looked back at him when he grabbed her arm to stop her. He didn't appear to be angry and—actually—seemed amused. With a huff, she pulled free and continued toward the study. Banging on the door, she called out to her sister before barging in. She found Giselle seated in front of the desk while Ciel sat in his chair on the other side. She approached Giselle's side and folded her arms across her chest.

"Leave my sister alone!" she demanded. "Why do you keep questioning her when she has already told you the truth?"

"Lydia…" Giselle called but she only spared the older woman a glance.

Ciel sighed in frustration as he rubbed at his temple.

"That is because she has not been telling the truth," he announced.

"W-what?" Lydia questioned. "How do you know she's lying?"

"I have my resources," Ciel explained smugly. "I have been informed that none of the orphanages north of London withheld two girls by the names of Giselle and Lydia Hastings." He clasped his hands beneath his chin. "With that new information, I have no choice but to conclude that Miss Giselle has lied to me." He turned his attention to Giselle. "Miss Giselle, as I have said before, you have one chance to tell me the truth. I warn you that my patience runs thin and—should I find you have lied again—I will not hesitate to deal with you accordingly."

"Don't you dare threaten my sister like that, you bastard!" Lydia exclaimed.

"Lydia, calm down," Giselle censured. "There is no need for such hostility."

Lydia frowned but decided to keep quiet for now. She turned her attention to Ciel, glaring with all her might. He didn't even blink and spared her only a glance. She gritted her teeth in irritation at his nonchalance and wished there was a way she could wipe off that damn expression of his.

"Miss Giselle," Ciel called. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Lydia turned her attention to her sister and could see the older woman was in deep thought. She chewed on her lower lip, wondering what story Giselle would come up with now. Surely, she wasn't thinking of telling the truth. Even if she did, Lydia had great doubt that Ciel would believe it. He would probably have them committed into an insane institute or worse. Lydia shivered as all other possibly worse scenarios ran through her mind. She shook off the thoughts and returned her attention back to the main task at hand.

Giselle was silent and Lydia could see Ciel was—indeed—getting impatient. She thought of saving Giselle the trouble and just spilling her own set of lies. The only issue was she didn't know what to say to sound believable. What could she possibly say? She decided to attempt a distraction only to have Giselle interrupt her.

"It is true that I lied to you, milord," Giselle announced. "And I apologize." She paused before looking at Lydia and managing a small smile. "After much thought, I am afraid the only thing I can think of telling you is that the closest relative we have here in London is a man by the name of Lau."

Lydia's eyes widened as she stared at her sister. What on Earth was she thinking by giving Ciel _that_ specific piece of information?! She could even see the barely hidden surprise in Ciel's expression. She stared at him, anticipating what his reaction would be.

"Lau?" Ciel questioned with a hint of disbelief. "Are you certain?"

Lydia turned her attention to her sister.

"Yes," Giselle answered. "You might know him as the president of the Bri—"

"I know who he is," Ciel interrupted in exasperation. "Sebastian."

Lydia looked over her shoulder at Sebastian who stood several feet away. She had forgotten he was present in the room as well. She eyed him suspiciously, wondering how he kept so silent. It was almost as if he faded into the shadows. She watched as he stepped forward and bowed to Ciel.

"Yes, Master."

"Bring Lau here."

"Yes, my lord."

"H-he's here?" Lydia questioned.

Ciel smirked but provided no answer as Sebastian departed from the room. Lydia looked at Giselle who looked just as fearful as she felt. What were they going to do now?! She saw the white knuckles of Giselle's hands and knew just how worried the older woman was. She felt the urge to sit but refused to do so, feeling it would be a show of weakness if she did. She hoped—somehow someway—that they would find a way out of this predicament. If not—according to Ciel's words earlier—they'd probably never see the light of day again.

They didn't have to wait long for Sebastian to return. Lydia and Giselle looked over their shoulders to see a Chinese couple behind Sebastian. Lau had short black hair and wore a Chinese jacket that Lydia vaguely remembered as a _Tangzhuang_. His hands were clasped together but evidently hidden in the overly long sleeves of his jacket. His eyes were closed but Lydia had the inkling that he was visually aware of what he was seeing.

The woman beside him stood a head-and-a-half shorter than him. Her large eyes were a light brown—light enough to look golden—and her black hair was arranged in long braids with cat ear-like buns atop her head. The black and lavender _cheongsam_ she wore was short—barely reaching mid-thigh—and even the blue jacket she wore to cover her upper body left little to the imagination. Her legs were covered with thigh-high tights and she wore black ballet shoes. The gold anklets' bells jingled as she walked further into the room with Lau. Lydia wondered who she was.

"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure of being called to your attention, Earl?" Lau asked as he stopped to the left of Giselle's seat.

"Lau, these two young women claim to know you," Ciel announced.

"Ah, yes," Lau commented. "The two who you happened to come upon in London; the two who have an unknown history. Yes, quite the interesting pair." He tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Now, who are we talking about?"

All the feelings of intimidation running through Lydia deflated. She stared at him with disbelief. _This_ man was their great grandfather? The man who had risen up through the ranks to become president of a Chinese trading company? She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved that he was such a simpleton. She looked at Ciel when he let out a frustrated sigh.

"They are to your right, Lau," he said exasperatedly.

Lau turned his attention to them and Lydia stiffened as she attempted to keep her nerves calm. She noticed the woman looking at her too. Then, the woman left Lau's side and approached her. Lydia took a step back when the woman reached out to her but remained still when she realized everyone was watching them. The woman cupped her face with both hands and stared up at her with a thoughtful expression.

Then, she pulled Lydia close into a hug which—oddly—reminded her of her mother. She hugged the woman back and looked at Giselle whose lips were curved into a pensive smile. The woman pulled back and looked at Lau whose features were contorted into an intrigued expression. He turned his attention to Ciel and she attempted to pull away from the woman. It seemed, however, that the woman had no intention of letting her go. Thus, Lydia had no choice but to remain in the awkward position.

"Ah, now I remember," Lau stated. "A friend of mine notified me a fortnight ago that he would be sending his daughters to me. He wanted me to watch over them." He looked from Giselle to Lydia before smiling. "I was told your carriage had been attacked. I am glad to see you both are safe."

"Th-thank you," Giselle replied.

"Why didn't you tell the truth from the beginning, Miss Giselle?" Ciel asked, settling his gaze on her.

Lydia stared at her sister's back, wondering what she would say now. When Giselle was silent for too long, she knew she had to come up with something.

"We were on the run," she blurted out.

Everyone turned to look at her and she felt her demeanor shrinking beneath their stares. She told herself she had to keep a strong head, though, and returned their looks with a determined look.

"On the run?" Ciel questioned. "From whom? Why?"

Now what?

"Um…Father was attacked in our home," she continued. "We found him…near death."

Lydia paused when she didn't know what else to say but Giselle easily took over for her.

"Before he died, he told us to come to London and find Lau," Giselle added. "Father said he was the only one that we could trust. That's why I lied to you."

"I see," Ciel replied. "Your father must be someone of importance if he requested for Lau to protect the two of you." He eyed the both of them with scrutiny. "Who is your father?"

"Father was a secretive man," Giselle explained. "Whatever he did outside of our family, he refused to tell us."

Ciel nodded as if he understood but the suspicion never left his eye.

"Is Hastings your true family name?"

"Father told us never to let anyone know who we really were," Lydia announced in an attempt to explain their unknown identity and couldn't believe how easy the lies were flowing from her. "On our way to London, we changed our identity."

"Very wise of you to do so," Lau noted. "Your father's legacy would have overshadowed your life here in London." He approached Ciel's desk with a smile. "Dear Earl, I would like to ask you a favor."

Ciel's expression darkened.

"What is that?" he asked.

"I ask that you let my guests stay here with you," Lau said. "As you well know, my home is not the most appropriate of places for these proper young ladies."

"You want _me_ to be their chaperone?" Ciel questioned.

"If that works, yes," Lau answered cheerily.

Ciel sighed.

"I suppose so," he replied. "If that is your wish."

"I am in your debt, Earl," Lau said. "Come, Ran Mao."

The woman holding Lydia released her and retreated to Lau's side. The couple proceeded to depart from the study. Lydia stared after them in horror. She and Giselle were going to stay _here_? With this grouch of a man as their _chaperone_? She glanced at Ciel and sighed. _Lord, have mercy…_

"Until next time, Earl," Lau bid before he closed the door behind him.

"Miss Giselle," Ciel announced. "As your…chaperone, I will ask you once again to tell me who you really are."

Giselle shook her head.

"I apologize once again, Lord Phantomhive," she explained. "I must ask that you do not ask us of our true identity. I fear what trouble it would bring you should you know who we really are."

Lydia noticed how Ciel's expression softened at Giselle's words. It made her think that Ciel might actually have a soft spot. Her opinion, however, was shot down when his expression hardened once more. Then, he let out a sardonic laugh. She frowned. What on Earth was this man's problem?

"How kind of you to express worry for _my_ well-being, Miss Giselle," Ciel said cynically. "I assure you it is a waste of your efforts." He let out another cold chuckle. "However—if that is your wish—I shall cease with my questions."

Lydia noticed the hesitance behind Giselle's nod.

"Thank you, milord."

Ciel nodded in a dismissive manner which irked Lydia's nerves but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Sebastian," he called, bringing the butler's presence to Lydia's attention once more. "See to it that rooms are prepared for Miss Giselle and her sister."

"Yes, my lord."

With that, they were all dismissed and Lydia glared at how Ciel easily just brushed them off. With a huff, she hurried after her sister and Sebastian. Outside the study, Sebastian led them to the left and they followed in silence. Lydia hurried to Giselle's side and pulled her close.

"What are we going to do now?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Giselle replied in an equally hushed tone. "I'll try to figure something out and, hopefully, we can find a way home."

"How are we going to do that?" Lydia questioned.

Giselle shrugged.

"I'll try to think of something," she answered.

"I'll try to think of something too," Lydia added. "First off, I think we're going to need my ring back." She highly doubted that Ciel would just simply give it back to her if she asked—whether nicely or not. "I think I'm going to have to steal it back."

"Don't do that," Giselle reprimanded. "Lord Phantomhive doesn't trust us enough as it is."

"Like I care," Lydia snorted. "That ring is rightfully mine whether he believes it or not."

"But—"

The girls bombarded into Sebastian's back and he peered back at them with an arched eyebrow.

"S-sorry," Giselle stated.

His eyes closed as he smiled and Lydia wanted to hurl at the sweetly false nature of the expression.

"No need, Miss Giselle," he replied and opened the door they'd stopped at, gesturing for them to enter first. "This shall be your room, Miss Giselle."

The room opened out to the left of the door and was grand in its appearance. A large canopied bed was set against the wall directly across from the entrance. To the left of the bed was a large window with its curtains parted to let in the morning light. In the furthest corner of the room sat a large vanity set. There was a door on the left wall that—Lydia assumed—led into the dressing room.

"Thank you, Mr. Sebastian," Giselle announced after a time of silent observation. "The room is lovely."

"I am glad you approve of the room," Sebastian replied with a bow. "I shall leave you to settle in while I show Miss Lydia her room."

Giselle turned to face them with evident shock.

"You mean…" she trailed off. "I won't be sharing a room with my sister?"

"The Master requested for two rooms to be prepared," Sebastian explained.

"Oh, I suppose so," Giselle said.

Sebastian turned to leave and Lydia pulled Giselle close to whisper words of encouragement.

"Don't worry, Giselle; they can't keep us separated for long."

Giselle nodded and bid her farewell with a smile before Lydia followed after Sebastian. They continued back in the direction they came from which made Lydia suspicious. She recognized the door to Ciel's study and wondered where her room was going to be. After some time and several turns later, Sebastian stopped before a door and Lydia realized what was going on. Obviously, Ciel didn't trust her and Giselle to be together which is why they had been given rooms on opposite ends of the residence wing.

"What is the big deal?" she questioned.

Sebastian opened the door and turned back to look at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence.

She frowned at him and entered the bedchamber to find it exactly like Giselle's but mirrored.

"Why give us rooms on opposite ends of the residence wing?"

Sebastian was silent and—wondering if he'd left—Lydia faced him to see his eyes glowing an eerie pink. Startled, she stepped back and blinked only to find his eyes normal once more. She wondered what it was she had seen and stared at him with confusion. His lips curved into a conspiratorial smirk before he bowed.

"I hope you enjoy your new living quarters, Miss Lydia," he stated before departing from the bedchamber and closing the door behind him.

Lydia backed away until she felt the bed at the back of her legs and sat down. She couldn't get the image of those eerie pink eyes out of her mind. She was certain she hadn't been seeing things. If so, what the hell had she seen? Then, she remembered what Giselle had relayed from their great grandfather's journal.

_Someone much more than he appeared to be…_

"What could he possibly be?" she wondered out loud.

Brushing aside the thought, Lydia got to her feet and examined her bedchamber. Indeed, it was lovely and definitely showed the grandness that was fitting of a noble name such as the Phantomhives. She peeked into the dressing room to see another door on the opposite wall. Peering through that door, she saw the washing room. Returning to the main chamber, she decided she would go talk to Ciel about the choice of her and Giselle's bedchamber arrangements.

With much trouble, she eventually found her way back to Ciel's study. Her legs were starting to ache again and she realized she'd overworked them. With a frustrated huff, she lifted a fist to knock on the door only to pause when she heard evident struggling from inside. Wondering what was happening, she entered to see a man trying to usher Ciel's unconscious form out the large window behind his desk.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" she exclaimed as she rushed forward.

The man was obviously startled as he looked up at her.

"G-get back!" he threatened as he aimed a pistol at her.

Lydia didn't pause in her pursuit only to be pushed from behind. She bombarded with the desk and the air was knocked out of her. With a hiss, she turned over to see a man heading toward her. She knocked him back with a kick to the chest, wincing when pain flashed through her leg. She got to her feet only to be grabbed from behind. She saw Ciel's form on the ground and struggled to free herself to get to him.

"Get the chloroform!"

Knowing her chances of escape were slimming, Lydia lifted her leg against the desk and pushed with all her might. The force threw off her captor's balance and they fell to the ground. She rolled onto her legs, hissing at the pain, and got to her feet. A man holding a bottle and napkin ran toward her and she dodged to the side. She turned to kick him in the back and sent him stumbling to the ground. Remember Ciel was unconscious, she rushed to his side.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as she shook him. "Wake up!"

There was no response and she couldn't squash the worry rising up to close her throat.

"Ciel!"

She was grabbed from behind and felt the napkin shoved against her face. She struggled to free herself but the chemical was already affecting her thoughts. Her limbs became heavy and her mind became hazy. She lost control of her limbs and the hold on her loosened. She fell to the ground next to Ciel and her conscience started to give out on her.

"_What…do…the girl?"_

"_Take…us!"_

Her senses shut down and the darkness overtook her.

Author's Note: Hello, dear readers! How has your summer been? Despite how busy we've been, our summer wasn't that eventful. We hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and thanks for readers! Until the next update! ^^

P.S. – As you well know, some characters have been aged to allow more diversity of the story plot and characterization for all characters. As of right now, it's only Ciel and Lizzy who've been aged for this purpose. As the story continues on and more characters are introduced, we will add more onto this list. Thanks! ^^

Giselle – 21

Lydia – 17

Ciel – 19

Lizzy – 20


End file.
